NEW DELHI: A bill to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of all-India services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre was passed by Lok Sabha on Saturday by a voice vote.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has already been passed by Rajya Sabha.
The statutory resolution, opposing the ordinance which the bill has replaced, was rejected by the House. An amendment too was defeated by a voice vote.
What Is Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021?
Tabled in Rajya Sabha earlier this week, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 amends the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 which provided for the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. The Bill also repeals the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.
The Bill states that the members of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian Forest Service (IFS) serving in Jammu and Kashmir would continue to serve in the two UTs, based on the allocation decided by the Central government.
It also seeks to merge the existing cadre for IAS of Jammu and Kashmir with those of Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. This shall enable the government to depute IAS, IPS officers and others from all UTs.
Soon after the Bill was passed by the Lower House, several Opposition parties slammed the BJP for making empty promises in J&K and giving a tainted picture of ‘vikas’ (development) happening there.
