Lt Governor defends move to transfer JKAS officers

Srinagar, Apr 4: Soon after the legislators of the ruling alliance led by National Conference passed a resolution that the silence of the elected government in J&K should not be construed as its “weakness,” Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday defended his decision to transfer 48 JKAS officers and maintained that he has acted responsibly and entirely within the domain defined by Reorganization Act.
The Lieutenant Governor, said, “I want to make it absolutely clear — the Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act in 2019, and I am saying with responsibility that I have acted entirely within the domain defined by that Act.”
“I know my jurisdiction and I will never violate it. I will not do anything beyond the scope of the powers granted to me,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor broke his silence after the legislative party meeting of the ruling National Conference and its alliance partners passed two resolutions, one of which sought respecting the mandate of the people – a veiled reference to the growing disquiet between the Raj Bhavan and the six-month-old government in the Union Territory.
The National Conference said it wants to run the government with “love and respect” and its silence should not be construed as its “weakness”, and requested the BJP-led central government to “not push them to the wall”.
The unscheduled meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and also attended by National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, began at Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary’s residence at the Gupkar here.
Cabinet ministers, all MLAs of the NC, and four Congress legislators led by chief whip Nizamuddin Bhat and independents supporting the National Conference government attended the meeting.
The meeting of the alliance partners was held in the backdrop of LG Sinha ordering transfer and posting of 48 officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS). (KNO)