Avinav Verma
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and discussed the finalisation of the Transaction of Business Rules, restoration of statehood, rationalisation of reservations and other issues concerning the Union Territory.
The discussion on the Business Rules comes ahead of the autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, which is scheduled to begin on September 21.
The Assembly Secretariat has already asked legislators to submit notices for questions, Bills and resolutions ahead of the session.
The Transaction of Business Rules lay down the procedures through which the elected government and the Lieutenant Governor’s administration conduct official business, including the movement and disposal of government proposals and the distribution of responsibilities among different authorities.
The revised rules were approved by the Omar Abdullah-led Cabinet in March 2025 and sent to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for approval.
The file was subsequently returned by the LG’s office seeking clarification on whether the rules had been framed in accordance with the applicable legal provisions.
The Cabinet met in May 2025 and resubmitted the rules in their original form after maintaining that the prescribed procedure had been followed.
One of the issues surrounding the rules has been the division of administrative powers between the elected government and the LG under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.
The government has sought greater clarity over the handling of civil administration, including transfers and postings, while the LG’s office has powers relating to subjects assigned to it under the Act.
The issue remained pending into 2026. Omar had said in July that the Business Rules file was still pending and that the matter would be taken up with the Centre if the delay continued.
The Chief Minister has now raised the issue again directly with the Union Home Minister, with the latest official statement describing the subject as ‘finalisation’ of the Transaction of Business Rules.
The Assembly session, meanwhile, has been summoned from September 21. Members were asked to submit up to four starred and four unstarred questions and one Bill by August 25, while notices for up to two resolutions can be submitted by September 5.
Statehood was also discussed during Friday’s meeting.
On July 20, the National Conference organised a demonstration in Delhi seeking restoration of statehood. Omar Abdullah participated in the protest amid heavy security restrictions in the capital. The NC has maintained that restoration of statehood remains one of its principal demands.
The two leaders also discussed rationalisation of reservations in Jammu and Kashmir. A Cabinet sub-committee had examined the existing reservation structure, following which the government proposed changes involving the EWS and RBA quotas and an increase in the Open Merit share.
The proposal has remained under consideration with the Centre after clarifications were sought on aspects of the recommendation.
Omar also briefed Shah about the first International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled to be held from September 7 to 10. The festival has selected 135 films from 41 countries from more than 1,100 submissions received from over 80 countries.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister also thanked the Home Minister for the Centre’s assistance following flood-related damage in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
