SRINAGAR: As Article 370 that grants special status to J&K was scrapped and Jammu and Kashmir, which has been part of the Union of India since 1947 was officially bifurcated into Union Territories. RK Mathur, the new and first Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh was sworn in by chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir high court Geeta Mittal in a simple ceremony. IAS officer Girish Chandra Murmu will take over as L-G of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir later in the day, said a report by News 18.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the appointed day for the two UTs was October 31, and these came into existence at midnight (Wednesday-Thursday), nearly three months after the announcement in Rajya Sabha, the report mentioned.
The oath-taking ceremony will be held in a function in Srinagar, the summer capital, despite the fact that by that time the swearing-in ceremony, the Jammu and Kashmir darbar would be moved to winter capital Jammu. Sources told India Today TV that the decision to administer the oath in Srinagar is ‘symbolic’ and is to highlight Kashmir’s integration with the rest of India.
Interestingly, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have not visited Kashmir Valley since the revocation of Article 370.
