New Delhi: In a major development, the Centre has announced that a total of 37 Central Acts, which, before abrogation of Article 370 were applicable in the rest of India but not in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, will now be applicable in the newly created union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.The decision to this effect was taken in a Union Cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.Among those Central Acts which will now be applicable in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir are the Goods and Services Tax (GST), 2017; the Income Tax Act, 1961; the Real Estate Act, 2016; the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 and the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973.
One of the major arguments made by the government while announcing the decision to abrogate Article 370, which gave ‘special status’ to Jammu and Kashmir, was to integrate the Valley with the rest of the country as the ‘special status’ meant that laws applicable in the rest of India were not applicable in J&K.
Also, post abrogation of Article 370, announced on August 5 last year by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, its citizens no longer hold dual nationality of J&K and India; the only citizenship that they hold now is that of India. Additionally, non-locals are now eligible to buy property there.
As part of the August 5 move, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was also split into two independent union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh; the status came into effect on October 31. |
