Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Oct 25: The much-awaited oath-taking ceremony of the new ministers in the Jammu and Kashmir Council of Ministers is likely to be held on Tuesday, sources said on Sunday.
A source told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the ceremony is expected to take place on Tuesday, with the names of the ministers likely to be conveyed to Lok Bhavan by Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers.
“The existing ministers who have been retained by the Chief Minister will not be required to take the oath again. Only the new faces inducted into the Council of Ministers will be administered the oath,” the source said.
The oath-taking ceremony is expected to be followed by the allocation of portfolios to both the existing and newly inducted ministers by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, the size of the Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, cannot exceed 10 percent of the total strength of the Legislative Assembly. Accordingly, Jammu and Kashmir can have a maximum of nine ministers besides the Chief Minister.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had on Saturday said that the list of ministers had been finalised after consultations with National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah, while urging party colleagues to refrain from lobbying for ministerial berths—(KNO)
