New Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to be born on 31 October

August 10: President Ram Nath Kovind has already given his assent to The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 on Friday. As per this Act, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh will officially become Union Territories from 31 October, 2019, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

After the President gave his assent, the Union Home Minister issued a notification stating, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of section 2 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019), the Central Government hereby appoints the 31st day of October 2019, as the appointed day for the purposes of the said Act.”

Earlier this week, the Parliament gave its approval to the legislation for bifurcating the state, a bold and far-reaching decision that seeks to redraw the map and future of a region at the centre of a protracted militancy movement. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature like Puducherry and Ladakh will be a UT like Chandigarh, without legislature.

Three days after the far-reaching decision to abrogate the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and bifurcate the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a nearly 40-minute televised address to the nation on Thursday, sought to assuage concerns of the people saying Jammu and Kashmir will not remain Union Territory for long.