Srinagar: The J&K Government has ordered abolition of the state’s 62-year-old state Legislative Council.
The orders were issued Wednesday night, less than a fortnight before the state would formally split into two union territories, J&K and Ladkah.
The abolition had become imperative under the Re-organisation Act passed by the parliament on Aug 9 after GoI’s decision to scrap Art 370 and bifurcate state into two union territories.
Jammu and Kashmir will become a Union Territory with an Assembly on Oct 31, while Ladakh will become a Union Territory without Assembly.
The order issued by the secretary to state, Farooq Ahmad Lone has directed the Council’s 116 member staff to report to General Administration Department by Oct 22.
The Secretary of the Legislative Council has been directed to hand over building of the Council along with furniture and electronic gadgets to Director Estates.
“Consequent to the abolition of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council in terms of Section 57 of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, it is ordered that all the staff of the state legislative council shall report to the GAD by October 22,” the order said.
All records pertaining to the Council Secretariat including related legislative business shall be transferred to the Department of Law, Justice Parliamentary Affairs by the secretary, the order added.
The order also directed transfer of all vehicles purchased from time to time to the director state motor garages and handing over of the building of the council along with furniture and electronic gadgets to the director estates.
The 36-member council was established in 1957 after an act was passed by the Parliament and it functioned as an upper house for the 87-member state assembly. The members of the council were elected for a period of five years.

Mir Iqbal