A three-member advisory committee has been formed by the Central government to oversee bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. It will also look into the distribution of assets and liabilities between Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory and Ladakh Union Territory, which will come into existence on October 31.
The Union Home Ministry, in a notification, said the panel will be headed by former Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and retired IAS officer Arun Goyal and retired Indian Civil Accounts Service officer Giriraj Prasad will be its members.
The notification read, “…in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 84 and Section 85 of the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Central government hereby constitutes the advisory committee.”
The notification further said that the advisory committee shall start functioning with immediate effect and will initially have a term of six months, which shall be extended further, if required.
“The apportionment of the assets and liabilities of the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir shall be subject to the recommendations of a committee constituted by the Central government,” it said.
According to Section 85 of the Act, the central government, by an order, can establish one or more advisory committees for apportionment of assets, rights and liabilities of the companies and corporations constituted for the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir between the two Union territories.
On August 5, the Centre announced the abrogation of the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into the two UTs.