ibn sultan
Jammu, March 26 : Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has recommended the introduction and consideration of a private member’s bill moved by PDP legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, proposing a statutory framework for reorganization of administrative divisions, districts, sub-divisions and tehsils in the Union Territory, officials said.
The approval was granted under sub-section (1) of Section 36 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, allowing the bill titled “The Jammu and Kashmir Territorial Administrative Reorganization Bill, 2026” to be introduced in the Assembly.
The move comes amid ongoing deliberations on administrative efficiency and regional balance, with the proposal seeking to address governance challenges in geographically vast and difficult terrains across Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the draft proposal, the bill envisages the creation of two new administrative divisions — Chenab Division with headquarters in Doda and Pir Panjal Division with headquarters in Rajouri — in addition to the existing Jammu and Kashmir divisions.
The proposed legislation also outlines the creation of several new districts in the Kashmir division, including Tral–Awantipora hill district, Ashmuqam–Pahalgam hill district, Beerwah, Sopore, Handwara, Sumbal, Tangdhar–Karnah hill district and Norabad hill district.
In the Jammu division, the bill proposes new hill districts such as Nowshera, Bhaderwah, Banihal, Thathri, Akhnoor, Billawar, Kotranka and Mendhar to facilitate focused administrative planning.
Officials said the government would be empowered to assign districts to Jammu, Kashmir, Chenab or Pir Panjal divisions through notifications, while ensuring geographical continuity, administrative convenience, socio-cultural cohesion and balanced regional development.
“The objective is to create a transparent legislative mechanism for reorganisation to improve governance and public service delivery,” officials said, citing the draft bill.
The proposal has been submitted to the Assembly Secretariat for consideration during the ongoing Budget session, which is scheduled to resume on March 27 after a five-week recess.
During the earlier phase of the session, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah presented the Budget on February 6, and the House passed grants for various departments following detailed discussions held in twin sittings.
According to the notified business schedule, March 30 and April 1 have been earmarked for private members’ bills, while March 31 and April 2 are reserved for private members’ resolutions.
The session is scheduled to conclude on April 4.
The proposed reorganization is aimed at decentralised governance, addressing regional disparities and improving administrative outreach in remote and underserved areas. [KNT]
