Srinagar, May 8 (NVI): In a significant administrative and legal development, the Centre has empowered the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise the powers and functions of the “State Government” under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, further strengthening the Union Territory administration’s control over telecom-related governance and regulatory mechanisms.
An official Gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the President of India has directed that the Administrator of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir — the Lieutenant Governor — shall exercise powers under sub-section (2) of Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
The notification, issued vide S.O. 2288(E) and published in the Gazette of India on May 7, 2026, states that the decision has been taken “in pursuance of clause (1) of Article 239 of the Constitution.”
As per the notification, “the Administrator (whether known as the Lieutenant Governor) of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall, subject to the control of the President and until further orders, exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the State Government” under the specified provisions of the Telecommunications Act.
The order effectively authorises the J&K LG administration to act on behalf of the State Government in matters covered under Section 20(2) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, within the Union Territory.
The development assumes significance as the Telecommunications Act, 2023, provides the legal framework governing telecom infrastructure, services, interception and emergency telecom-related measures, replacing several colonial-era laws.
Officials said the latest notification aligns with the constitutional and administrative structure of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory under the direct supervision of the Centre. (NVI)
