Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Saturday that his government would expand and reshuffle its Council of Ministers in the first two to three days of next week, following a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Omar said he had requested time from Sinha to carry out the exercise, which is expected to bring changes to the composition of the National Conference-led government more than two years after it took office in October 2024.
“I requested time from him for the expansion and asked him that in the first two to three days of next week, I will carry out the expansion and certain changes in my Council of Ministers,” Omar told reporters after meeting Sinha at Lok Bhavan in Srinagar.
He said the Lieutenant Governor would fix a time for the exercise.
Omar said he had also sought the meeting to enquire about Sinha’s health, adding that it had been some time since the two last met and that several issues required periodic consultation.
The chief minister did not disclose the names of legislators likely to be inducted or the portfolios that could change hands.
Omar took office in October 2024 with five ministers, giving the government scope to expand its ministerial team within the prescribed limit.
Under Section 53 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Council of Ministers, including the chief minister, cannot exceed 10% of the total strength of the legislative assembly. With 90 elected members, the assembly permits a maximum of nine ministers, including the chief minister.
The proposed expansion could fill vacancies in the council, while the reshuffle could involve changes to the responsibilities of serving ministers.
DENTAL REGULATION POWERS
Asked about the delegation of powers under the National Dental Commission Act, 2023, to lieutenant governors and administrators of Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, for establishing state dental councils and regulating local dental healthcare, Omar said the matter required examination.
He said the government would first have to determine under the applicable business rules whether the issue fell within the jurisdiction of the Union Territory administration or the central government.
“It would be better if you ask this question to (Health Minister) Sakina Itoo once she returns (from Singapore),” he said.
STRANDED PILGRIMS
Omar also expressed concern about Kashmiri pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia amid flight cancellations, saying the difficulties affected travellers from several Indian states.
Although flights were operating, sharply higher airfares had made alternative bookings unaffordable for many passengers who had originally purchased lower-cost tickets, he said.
The Jammu and Kashmir government would approach the Ministry of External Affairs to seek a solution, Omar said, adding that if the Centre could not provide financial assistance for tickets or repatriation, his government would explore funding support from its own budget.
LADAKH BORDER ISSUE
Omar declined to comment on reports of alleged Chinese patrolling deviations along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, saying the matter fell outside his government’s direct jurisdiction after Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
“This question should be directed either to the LG of Ladakh or to the central government,” he said.
