Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Nearly two years after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s elected government assumed office, the revised Transaction of Business Rules for Jammu and Kashmir remain unfinalised, continuing to figure among the list of pending matters awaiting resolution between the Union Territory Government and the Centre.
Abdullah said on 7th September that he remained in constant communication with Union Home Minister Amit Shah over several outstanding issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir, with approval of the Business Rules featured among the matters actively being discussed. The subject had also come up during Abdullah’s meeting with Shah in New Delhi on 4th September, when, according to the Chief Minister’s office, finalisation of the rules was specifically raised.
The revised rules are intended to bring greater clarity to how the elected government functions, particularly regarding the allocation of administrative business and the respective roles of the Council of Ministers and the Lieutenant Governor within the Union Territory framework, a division that has remained a point of friction since Jammu and Kashmir’s reorganisation.
According to sources, the J&K Cabinet had earlier approved the proposed revised rules and responded to queries raised on the draft, with the Cabinet’s response subsequently routed back through the prescribed channel. Despite this, the revised rules have yet to be formally notified, leaving several aspects of the administrative division still under discussion, particularly in areas where the powers of the elected government and the Lieutenant Governor intersect.
The delay carries implications for the functioning of the bureaucracy as well, since the Business Rules are meant to lay down the procedure for allocation and transaction of government business and for handling matters that involve multiple authorities. Sources indicated that the absence of finalisation has resulted in ongoing correspondence and consultations between the J&K Government and the Centre on questions concerning the administration’s day to day functioning.
Abdullah has previously said the lack of clarity in the existing arrangement had affected the government’s functioning, and he has continued to press the matter with the Union Government. The Business Rules remain one among several unresolved issues between Srinagar and New Delhi, alongside the restoration of statehood, reservation related matters and the appointment of an Advocate General. As of now, no formal notification confirming final approval of the revised rules has been issued.
