Jammu and Kashmir has been divested of its statehood on August 2019 and has turned into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Besides the erstwhile State's special position and status has been done away with by abrogation of controversial article 370 of the Indian constitution by amending the constitution and implementing the states reorganisation act. But it is irony and unfortunate that the Government of India has amended the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019 and has given sweeping powers to the LG of the UT of J&K and this is disturbing and amounts to murder of democracy. The assembly elections were held after a long gap and the democratically elected people's government has been chosen and established. But despite the installation of the popular government,the real and ultimate administrative and financial powers rests in the LG which is very unfortunate and travesty of democracy.
Sweeping powers have been given to LG and the duly and democratically elected Chief Minister and the elected council of ministers have very little powers and in some cases they have no powers. The real authority is entrusted to centres representative-the LG, with the result all strategic and significant powers lie with the LG and it means that the mandate of people is stifled and voice of the people is not heard. It is disturbing that even for routine and day to day functions the Chief Minister has to get prior approval of the LG. There are two power centres and it is harmful for the UT and its people. The duel power structure impedes the development works and there is duplication and overlapping of powers & the balance of powers tilts towards the LG, so with the result the duly and democratically elected Chief Minister is reduced to insignificance and he can be said to be the persona non gratia and it is dangerous for the democracy. It can be said that the Chief Minister cannot appoint even a person and this is the sad plight of the NC Congress coalition government.
The elected government has been reduced to powerless entity and the real power and authority lies in the LG. Such a situation is not good for the working of the UT government. Top level, middle level and lower level executives have to please two bosses and in the process it is the people who are real sovereigns suffers the most. It is sad that orders to the bureaucrats come from two bosses the LG and the Chief Minister and there are two power centres and it impinges the governance and administration and the real sufferers are the electorate and duel power centre impinges the governance and the officers have to obey two bosses which is not good for the working of the government and democracy. People of jammu and kashmir have exercised their franchise as they have voted overwhelmingly and have formed the popular democratic and people's government but despite voting a government to power, the GOI has manipulated the situation and have in fact robbed the duly elected government and the people of their powers.
The wings of the democratically elected government in Jammu and Kashmir have been cut and the people's government has been reduced to be powerless entity. A strange situation has come to stay in the UT where the bureaucrats have to obey two bosses and the governance and administration is the first causality. All this duel power centres are not good for the smooth functioning of government and administration. All this two power structure is the offshoot of making Jammu and kashmir a Union Territory. It is natural to change a UT into a state but it is unnatural and undemocratic to turn the state into UT and in the case under discussion J&K has been bifurcated into two UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. UT status and abrogation of article 370 was done by the Modi government. Annulling of controversial article 370 is a no doubt historical decision of BJP government and it was rightly an epoch making decision, thus will be written in the JK history in golden letters. Article 370 is all right and a most important decision which was in the interest of national integration and it gave a setback to terrorism to a vast extent. But the centre government should restore the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest as Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah has more than once stated that statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at appropriate time.
People of Jammu and Kashmir and all most all the political parties of Jammu and Kashmir are demanding restoration of the full statehood to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. But it seems that GOI is in no mood to restore statehood in immediate future as they are in no hurry to grant back the statehood to J&K. The fact that the elected government and Chief Minister has very little powers and the real authority vests in LG. Many a time there is friction between the LG and Chief Minister which is not good for the health of the democracy and good governance. The powers of the LG and Chief Minister should be well defined and there should be no misunderstanding between the head of the UT and the head of the government. There should be no friction tussle and misunderstanding between the LG and the elected Chief Minister. The duel power centres in Jammu and Kashmir is a reality and it impedes the governance and socio-economic development of the UT. To sum up, it can be said that duel power structure in Jammu and Kashmir is a bane curse and not a boon.
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