Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 16

The government on Tuesday reshuffled the allocation of litigation work among law officers representing various departments before the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), a move aimed at streamlining legal representation and improving the handling of government cases amid a growing volume of litigation involving public departments.

The fresh allocations come nearly three months after the administration appointed a new panel of law officers in March to represent government departments before judicial forums across J&K.

According to orders issued by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, specific departments have been assigned to Additional Advocates General, Deputy Advocates General and Government Advocates for both the Srinagar and Jammu wings of the High Court, with separate arrangements made for cases before the CAT’s Srinagar Bench.

The reallocation is intended to distribute legal workload more efficiently and establish clearer accountability among government counsels responsible for defending departmental decisions, service matters, policy challenges and administrative actions before courts.

Legal experts note that J&K witnesses a substantial volume of litigation involving departments dealing with land revenue, power, education, recruitment, social welfare and service matters, making effective coordination between departments and law officers crucial for timely disposal of cases.

Under the revised arrangement for the Srinagar wing of the High Court, Additional Advocate General Shahbaz Sikandar Mir has been assigned the Power Development Department and its corporations, the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB), the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBOPEE), and the School Education Department for Srinagar district.

Officials said these departments account for a significant share of litigation relating to recruitment, service disputes, admissions, infrastructure projects and regulatory matters.

Deputy Advocate General Tariq Ahmad Lone has been entrusted with matters relating to the Jal Shakti Department, Social Welfare Department, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Information Technology Department and School Education Department cases arising from Kupwara and Bandipora districts.

Meanwhile, Deputy Advocate General Ghulam Nabi Sofi has been assigned cases involving the Higher Education Department, Skill Development Department, Sericulture Department, Floriculture Department and Animal Husbandry Department.

The departments under his charge frequently deal with disputes concerning academic institutions, employment matters, development schemes and service-related claims.

For the Jammu wing of the High Court, Additional Advocate General Meharban Singh has been allotted litigation concerning the Revenue Department, Social Welfare Department and Power Development Department.

The Revenue Department remains one of the most litigated government entities owing to disputes involving land ownership, mutations, acquisitions and administrative decisions.

Deputy Advocate General Meenakshi Slathia has been assigned matters relating to the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department, Transport Department and School Education Department cases arising from Udhampur district.

Government Advocate Anishwar Chatterji Koul will handle litigation involving the Jal Shakti Department, Skill Development Department, Jammu Development Authority, Patnitop Development Authority and School Education Department cases from Ramban and Doda districts.

In a separate order, the government designated Government Advocate Furqan Yaqub Sofi to conduct litigation before the Central Administrative Tribunal’s Srinagar Bench on behalf of several departments, including the Social Welfare Department, Skill Development Department, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department and the Housing and Urban Development Department.

The Central Administrative Tribunal deals primarily with service-related disputes involving government employees, including matters concerning appointments, promotions, transfers, disciplinary proceedings and retirement benefits.

The latest restructuring comes at a time when government departments are increasingly facing judicial scrutiny over administrative decisions and service matters.

Officials said the revised allocation framework is expected to facilitate better coordination between departments and legal representatives, ensure quicker preparation of case records and improve the government’s ability to effectively defend its policies and decisions before courts.

The administration has not announced any changes in the overall composition of the law officers’ panel, with the latest orders limited to redistribution of departmental responsibilities among counsels already appointed earlier this year.