Incumbent Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik will be taking oath as the first Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh on the appointed day of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, on 31 October.

Highly placed authoritative sources in the Government of India revealed that the swearing-in ceremony of the LG of UT of Ladakh will take place in Leh before noon on 31 October.

The oath of office and secrecy as per the provisions of the Constitution of India will be administered to Malik by Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Gita Mittal.

A number of senior officials from Government of India and Government of Jammu and Kashmir, besides judges of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, will be attending the two swearing-in ceremonies.

On the same day in the afternoon, Governor Malik will administer a fresh oath to Chief Justice Mittal as per the Constitution, and the Chief Justice will subsequently administer oath to all judges of J&K High Court.

Chairpersons and members of J&K Public Service Commission, J&K Vigilance Commission and J&K Backward Classes Commission will also have to take fresh oaths as per the Constitution, sources added.

He said it was currently under the government’s consideration whether any of the five incumbent advisors to Governor would be retained as Advisor to LG of UT of J&K or not. “This will be decided in consultation with Mr Malik,” he said. According to him, there would be no advisor to LG of the UT of Ladakh.

With regard to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, sources said the LG could decide to either retain one or two of the incumbent advisors, or relieve all five of them and have no advisor, or chose to have one or two fresh advisors.