Preparations in full gear as J-K, Ladakh to become UTs on Oct 31

Preparations are in full swing in Jammu and Kashimr and Ladakh, as the two regions will be formally accorded the status of Union Territory on October 31.

Girish Chandra Murmu, a 1985-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Gujarat cadre will take oath as the first Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday afternoon.

Murmu served as expenditure secretary at the Centre before getting appointed as Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.

On the same day, Radha Krishna Mathur will be sworn-in as the first Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.

Mathur, a retired 1977-batch IAS officer from Tripura cadre retired as the Chief Information Commissioner of India in November 2018.

Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Geeta Mittal will administer the oath to both Lieutenant Governors.

According to sources, she will first administer the oath to LG Ladakh in the morning and then she will leave for Srinagar to administer Murmu's oath.

From November 1, UT cadre officers deployed in Delhi, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar are expected to be transferred to Jammu and Kashmir.

In August this year, the government revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and also bifurcated the state into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.