Months after assembly polls, J&K issues orders officials to ‘accord priority’ to elected representatives

In the backdrop of J&K’s elected authorities moving successful a UT acceptable up for the archetypal clip and the bureaucracy caught betwixt the Raj Bhawan and the main minister, newly-elected MLAs person raised concerns of a “loss of connect” betwixt the bureaucracy and the people. J&K was a authorities earlier but became a UT successful 2019. Until past October, erstwhile a caller authorities was elected pursuing Assembly polls, its medication was tally wholly done the Raj Bhawan, with lone District Development Councils (DDC) inactive having elected representatives.

The bid directs each officers/officials moving successful assorted authorities departments of the UT of Jammu & Kashmir to be to elected representatives “on precedence successful nationalist offices and due protocol, arsenic per established authorities norms and guidelines, shall beryllium adhered to successful each specified interactions.”

In the lack of elected MLAs, galore members of the District Development Councils crossed J&K had antecedently expressed concerns of not getting capable effect from the bureaucracy.

In his archetypal gathering with administrative secretaries, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah besides warned officials against trying to “exploit” the hybrid strategy of governance successful the UT. “I americium acutely alert that we person unluckily astatine this infinitesimal a alternatively hybrid strategy of governance.” He said that portion immoderate “may consciousness they tin exploit the strategy to their advantage,” the CM stated that helium had assurances from the highest level successful the Union authorities that J&K’s UT presumption is lone temporary.

Friday’s administrative bid besides directs that communications, requests and grievances raised by elected representatives are to beryllium “acknowledged and processed connected precedence and authorities officers/officials” and urges them to “deal with elected representatives successful a nonrecreational and respectful manner.”

Additionally, it besides states that the elected representatives are invited to each authoritative functions and meetings organised successful their jurisdiction arsenic good arsenic successful the lawsuit of “official sojourn of immoderate dignitary” successful their jurisdiction.