Omar Abdullah Convenes Meeting to Discuss LG’s Officer Transfers

First Review of Centre-Appointed Authority’s Administrative Decision

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has scheduled a meeting for Friday to address the escalating tensions surrounding Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s recent transfers of officers. This marks the first time Abdullah will scrutinize and discuss an administrative decision made by the Centre-appointed authority.

JKAS Officers’ Transfers: The Point of Disagreement

• The controversy began on Tuesday when Sinha ordered the transfer of 48 Jammu Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers.
• The National Conference (NC) refrained from naming Sinha but maintained that no one would be permitted to “tamper with the democratic setup”.
• NC has raised the issue with the Centre, according to party sources.

Omar Abdullah’s Correspondence with Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Sources indicate that Omar wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Sinha, expressing concern after Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo failed to comply with the CM’s directive to rescind the transfers by the previous evening (April 2). The matter is anticipated to be addressed during Shah’s planned visit to J&K next week.

NC Government’s Position

• NC member and spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq stated that the meeting on Friday will cover various topics, with the recent transfers of UT administrative service officers being the primary focus.
• NC chief whip Mubarik Gul informed NC legislators that Omar will preside over the meeting at Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary’s residence.

Power-Sharing Framework and Officer Transfers

According to NC, the power-sharing structure between the elected government and LG, established after the revocation of special status under Article 370, has functioned effectively over the past six months since NC assumed office. The LG holds the power to transfer IAS officers, while the elected government possesses similar authority over the JKAS cadre.

Congress and PDP’s Stance on the Issue

• Congress legislator GA Mir backed NC’s stance and claimed that the LG’s actions indicated that all was not well within the J&K administration.
• However, the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) dismissed NC’s “alleged outrage” over the issue, asserting that the meeting on Friday would yield no results.

Political Analyst’s Opinion

Political analyst Zafar Choudhary acknowledged “some political criticism” over transfers by LG Sinha but emphasized that he derived his powers from a “written text originating from the events of Aug 2019 which no one should feign ignorance of”.