Ahead of the start of the Budget session of J&K Assembly, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has said he had no difficulty working with the elected government and that not even a single file is stuck in Raj Bhawan.
Talking to a Delhi-based newspaper, Sinha said he met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday and discussed various issues relating to the forthcoming Budget session of the Legislative Assembly
The Budget session of J&K Assembly will start in Jammu on Monday. It will start with the address of Lt Governor.
Sinha said J&K Reorganisation Act clearly defined the roles of the elected government and the L-G administration.
“I deal with law and order, while they have governance. I do not have any difficulty in working with the government… There is no clash,” he said.
Responding to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s observation that Union Territories with Assemblies are “flawed models” since they “tie the hands of the government by empowering the Lieutenant Governor”, Sinha said he did not interfere in any line department.
“Also, this is not the only UT with an Assembly. Pondicherry is also a UT. This is not new, this model has existed for a while. I have no role in governance and I do not interfere with it in any manner. No one can point to a single thing that I may have stopped,” Sinha said.
Emphasising that no files are stuck in his office, the Lt Governor said files related to transfers of Central service officers or law and order are exclusive to him.
“The rest is about policy matters or cabinet decisions, if something comes, nothing is held up here,” he said.
He said the Transaction of Business Rules are for the government to finalise and then get an approval from his office.
“The J&K Reorganisation Act makes this clear. The Centre does not have to do anything. I haven’t received it till now. As a policy matter, it will be referred to me and I don’t have the discretion to do as I want. The Act is the guiding light on this — the decisions with the government are up to them and those with me, are up to me,” Sinha said.
On the statehood resolution passed by J&K Cabinet, LG said the Cabinet authorises the Chief Minister to meet the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and anyone in the government.
“It’s not stuck with me. What’s there for me to stop in this. I have approved it,” he said.
In its very first meeting in October last year, the J&K Cabinet had unanimously adopted a resolution seeking restoration of statehood to J&K.
Sinha said during visit to Srinagar on Yoga Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the assurance of granting statehood to J&K.
“He (CM Omar Abdullah) meets the Prime Minister and the Home Minister more than he meets me. If something has been said on the floor of the Parliament so it’s an assurance by the government and it will be fulfilled. I can’t talk about the timelines, but what I know is that this will happen,” he said.