Jammu, Dec 21: The first cabinet expansion of the Omar Abdullah-led government in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is expected to take place before the budget session of the Legislative Assembly, scheduled to begin in late January or early February next year in Jammu.
Reliable sources informed Rising Kashmir that the expansion would see the induction of three new ministers into the cabinet. The move is aimed at strengthening the government’s response to questions from both the opposition and treasury benches during the upcoming budget session.
Under J&K’s norms, the state is required to have nine ministers, which constitutes 10% of the total strength of the Legislative Assembly. With 90 elected members in the Assembly, the current six-member cabinet falls short of the required number of ministers. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took oath on October 16, and it has been 65 days since the government formed, leaving three ministerial positions vacant.
Sources added that the new ministers will be appointed before the start of the budget session and will be allocated specific portfolios. This will ensure that the government is adequately represented and able to address legislative matters effectively.
The last budget session in the erstwhile state of J&K was held in 2014 under the BJP-PDP coalition government. This upcoming session will be the first to be conducted without a Legislative Council, following the reorganization of J&K into a Union Territory on August 5, 2019.
