Chief Secretary, Law Secretary Write to Assembly Secretariat Against Statehood Resolution

Srinagar, Sep 29 KNT: The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary and Law Secretary separately approached the Legislative Assembly Secretariat seeking that the resolution on restoration of statehood not be taken up by the House.

The communications were sent after the statehood resolution, moved by the Chief Minister, had been admitted for consideration by the Assembly.

The officials reportedly cited the matter being sub judice while seeking that the resolution should not be taken up for discussion. The intervention came directly from the senior bureaucracy to the Assembly Secretariat, triggering questions inside the House over the role of the administration in the legislative proceedings.

The Speaker questioned the unprecedented intervention, while the Chief Minister, who also holds the Law portfolio, said he had no prior knowledge of the Law Department’s communication to the Assembly. He also questioned how the Chief Secretary could write to the Speaker against a resolution moved by the Chief Minister.

The development has brought into sharp focus the institutional relationship between the elected government, the Legislative Assembly and the bureaucracy under the present Union Territory arrangement.

The Assembly subsequently proceeded with the statehood resolution, which was passed by voice vote amid protests and a walkout by BJP members. [KNT]

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