SRINAGAR: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma on Wednesday criticised the National Conference (NC) Government’s decision to constitute informal advisory groups of its MLAs, alleging that the arrangement was intended to contain internal dissent within the ruling party rather than improve governance.
Questioning the authority behind the groups, Sharma said NC president Farooq Abdullah did not hold any constitutional or governmental office and asked on what basis he could direct ministers of an elected government to report to party-level groups.
“Farooq Abdullah holds no constitutional or governmental office. On what authority is a party president directing Ministers of an elected Government to report to party-level groups? This clearly exposes the reality that the Government is being run from Gupkar rather than the Civil Secretariat,” Sharma said.
He alleged that the arrangement amounted to creating parallel mechanisms outside established democratic institutions and reflected the NC’s tendency to prioritise party interests over public welfare.
Sharma also expressed concern that granting NC MLAs exclusive access to ministers and advance information about policy decisions would undermine democratic equality and marginalise Opposition legislators. He maintained that voters represented by Opposition MLAs were equally entitled to access and representation in governance.
“Governance cannot be based on party loyalty. Development must follow the needs and aspirations of the people, not the political convenience of the ruling party,” he said, adding that even the NC’s alliance partners had been excluded from the arrangement.
Seeking clarification on the groups’ proposed functioning, the Opposition leader asked whether they would have access to departmental files, powers to review expenditure or the authority to question government officers.
He also questioned whether ministers would remain accountable to the Chief Minister and the elected Assembly or to the NC president.
“If these groups have no such powers, they are nothing more than a consolation prize offered to disgruntled NC MLAs. However, if they are allowed to exercise any administrative authority, they risk becoming unaccountable parallel power centres outside the established constitutional framework,” he said.
Sharma argued that the arrangement bypassed the Legislative Assembly and its established committee system, which, he said, were the appropriate democratic platforms for examining government policies, scrutinising departmental functioning and ensuring accountability.
He maintained that ministers were accountable to the elected House and not to political groups constituted by an individual party, stressing that the Opposition had an essential role in holding the Government accountable.
Raising questions over the sharing of official information, Sharma said ministers were bound by their oath of secrecy and responsibilities attached to their constitutional offices. He said sharing confidential departmental information or official matters with unauthorised party forums could raise questions of propriety and accountability.
“Calling these groups ‘informal’ does not make the questions surrounding their functioning disappear. If they have no official role or authority, what purpose do they serve? And if they are being given access to official information and departmental functioning, under what rules and legal authority is this being done?” he asked.
The LoP further alleged that the advisory groups had been created to accommodate disgruntled NC legislators who could not be inducted into the Council of Ministers because of the constitutional limit on its size.
Describing the arrangement as “political eyewash”, he said it was aimed at keeping dissatisfied legislators within the party rather than assigning them meaningful responsibilities.
Suggesting an alternative, Sharma called for the constitution of all-party consultative committees to involve elected representatives across political lines in policy formulation and governance.
He said such committees, on the lines of parliamentary practices and mechanisms followed by other state legislatures, would promote transparency, ensure wider participation and strengthen democratic institutions.
“Jammu and Kashmir deserves accountable and inclusive governance, not party-controlled parallel arrangements,” Sharma said, reiterating that ministers were answerable to the elected Assembly and not to the president of a political party.
