The Governor speed of taking decision in favour of people of Kashmir has sent jitters among the political parties and pulling the rug out under them. Therefore, the political parties in the valley have now come on the same page and doing their bit to oppose the governor. The recent attack has come from the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who has warned the Governor for an agitation if he does not refrain from taking decisions on important policy matters. She said “Unfortunately, everyday an order is issued which is creating further insecurity among the people,” Mehbooba said. “Barring a few political parties, everyone is perturbed with these decisions.”

 

 

In the press conference she mentioned about the incidences like J&K Bank, Roshni Act and PRC rules, wherein the Governor has taken decision. Surprisingly, the decisions are taken for weeding out corruption and bringing more transparency in the system of governance but every genuine effort has been presented as an attack on the autonomy of the state. They even misguided the people about these genuine efforts.

 

 

 

 

Major Decisions taken by the Governor

Constituency Development Fund or CDF scheme shall continue to be operational in the state without any time limits to ensure that the elected representatives respond to the developmental issues expeditiously.

The State Administrative Council (SAC) headed by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik commenced the formal process for conducting municipal body and panchayat elections. This was done despite the major political parties from the valley did not participate in it. Voter education was given special focus during this election.

Declared the state open defecation free (ODF) and launched the "Swachhta Hi Seva" - a fortnight-long cleanliness campaign for public awareness and involvement of community.

Scrapped a medical insurance scheme for government employees and their families a month after it was rolled out, citing fraud. Reliance General Insurance Company of Anil Ambani was chosen to run the scheme.

Dissolved the state assembly. Governor reached the conclusion to dissolve the assembly due to “The impossibility of forming a stable government by the coming together of political parties with opposing political ideologies” and “Reports of extensive horse trading and possible exchange of money in order to secure the support of legislators”.

The Governor-led State Administrative Council (SAC) approved the proposal for treating Jammu and Kashmir Bank Limited as a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU). The decision was taken to check corruption and to address the issues of transparency and accountability in the Bank. This move brought the JK Bank under the purview of RTI.

The State Administrative Council (SAC) headed by the Governor repealed the Jammu and Kashmir State Lands (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act, 2001, commonly known as Roshni scheme. All pending proceedings under the Act stand cancelled immediately.

In the case of J&K Bank, the irregularities were found in appointments to the Bank, where the J&K Governor found that 582 candidates were appointed in Jammu and Kashmir Bank by the collation government of the state and in certain cases a whooping amount of Rs 4-5 Lakhs were given for the appointment.

 

 

In 2001, the state government enacted the law, the J&K state land (vesting of ownership rights to the occupants) act 2001 or Roshni Act. Under the law people, who were occupying state land illegally upto 1990, had to pay about Rs 20 lakh per kanal land (1kanal= 0.8 acre) to get ownership rights. In case of Roshini Act, most of the land rights were given to politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats. While adding that the he state government realised just Rs 76 crore against a target of Rs 25,448 crore, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report flashed the irregularity in transfer of encroached land to occupants in Jammu and Kashmir from 2007 to 2013. In November 2018, the High JK Court restrained all beneficiaries of the Roshni scheme from selling or carrying out any other transaction in respect of the land transferred to them.

 

 

In case of PRC, the National Conference wrote a letter, on the basis of media reports, to Governor against tinkering with the provisions of PRC but the Governor dispelled the apprehensions of the political parties from the valley and mentioned that he has not been contemplating any such plan. The matters flashed by the President of PDP Mehbooba Mufti has clearly shown that corruption and favouritism were taking place, therefore, it was essential that the intervention must have been made by the Government. Since, the elected government was not there in J&K, the Governor’s timely intervention was warranted.

 

 

The decisions of the Governor are creating unease only among the political parties in the valley though the main target in most of the decisions of the Governor is on weeding out corruption and transparency in governance. Surprisingly, only the leaders of the valley find problems with the decision of the Governor whereas the two other parts of the state viz. Ladakh and Jammu largely remain silent. Therefore, it is worth to ponder over whether the politicians really thinking for the J&K state or only creating hysteria among gullible people of Kashmir for unfounded terror of encroachment on the autonomy of the state.