AIIMS Awantipora row opens new questions on governance propriety in J&K

Srinagar, Jun 6: The visit of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to the under-construction AIIMS Awantipora site has raised questions of governance propriety in Jammu and Kashmir.
The development comes at a time when J&K functions under a “dual governance structure”, with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sharing overlapping powers.

In such a scenario, opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba assuming an authoritative position without constitutional validity to “review” the centrally sponsored project led to a political furore.
The issue is not only about her visit to AIIMS Awantipora but also raises a question on the functioning of the executive in J&K and adds a “third layer” to J&K’s already muddied “dual governance” structure.

The controversy arose after Mehbooba visited the AIIMS Awantipora project site where she reviewed its construction process.
“I am delighted to visit the under-construction AIIMS. It was a dream project of my father. Although there have been delays, the construction is progressing well,” Mufti told reporters during the visit.

The former chief minister also assured officials of her support in resolving issues and offered to take up pending matters with Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda.

On Saturday, Mehbooba announced on microblogging site ‘X’ that she had spoken to Nadda.
“Spoke with Union Health Minister J P Nadda ji and requested him to expedite the ongoing work at AIIMS Awantipora so that it doesn’t get delayed any further. He was kind enough to assure me about its completion well on time,” she posted.

In another post, she linked the institution to her father and former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s legacy.
“Mufti Sahab envisioned and laid the foundation for AIIMS Awantipora in 2015, and today I’m delighted to see his dream come to fruition. Much progress has been made on this crucial institution – a project initiated by the PDP over a decade ago. AIIMS Awantipora has the potential to emerge as one of the leading centres of healthcare, medical education and research in J&K,” she posted.
For the PDP, the visit was a political leader following up on a project initiated during its tenure.
For opponents, it was not about the visit itself but more about how the visit was carried out.

The main question that was raised was, “In what capacity was Mehbooba informed and asked to check up on the centrally sponsored project?”
Unlike her MLAs, Waheed-ur-Rehman Para and Rafiq Ahmad Naik, Mehbooba is neither an MLA nor part of any government formation.
She holds no executive powers whatsoever.
This has led political rivals to ask whether a former chief minister can exercise oversight functions traditionally associated with elected governments.
The issue carries significance because J&K’s political system is already marked by overlapping centres of authority.

Since the restoration of an elected government, administrative powers continue to be shared between the LG and the CM-led administration.
Critics argue that in such a situation, the appearance of a third power centre represented by a former chief minister reviewing official projects inevitably raises questions about institutional boundaries.

The controversy also indirectly places Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s authority under scrutiny.
Political observers say that if a former chief minister can convene or chair review interactions with officials of a major public institution, it creates an impression that the exclusive oversight role of the elected government is being blurred.
The optics become particularly sensitive given that CM Omar heads a government backed by a legislative majority and is constitutionally responsible for governance within the powers available to the elected administration.

NC leaders were quick to frame the issue as one of constitutional propriety rather than political rivalry.
Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo questioned both the authority under which the exercise was conducted and the forces facilitating it.
In her post on X, she said, “I don’t know in what capacity Mehbooba conducted a review of the AIIMS Awantipora project. More importantly, who is signalling them to undertake such exercises? Which power centre in Delhi is directing these actions?”

Itoo suggested that some former rulers continued to behave as if they remained in office despite having lost power in 2018.
She said that AIIMS Awantipora was moving toward completion due to the “focused efforts, monitoring and commitment” of the CM Omar-led government.
“The people of J&K are wise enough to distinguish between those who delayed development and those who are ensuring its delivery,” Itoo said.
The NC’s criticism appeared aimed at drawing a line between political visits and administrative oversight.

The government subsequently held its own review meeting on Saturday in what many political observers viewed as a direct institutional response to the controversy.
People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone took the criticism further, describing the episode as a constitutional issue.
In his post on X, Lone termed the development a “constitutional crisis” and questioned the authority under which Mehbooba had chaired a review meeting.

He asked whether the Centre had granted any formal authorisation and whether a government order existed permitting such an exercise.
Later, Lone sharpened his criticism further, calling the development a “constitutional impropriety” and an “unconstitutional trespass.”
“What would prevent non-elected functionaries of other political parties, including the BJP or RSS, from chairing similar meetings if such a precedent is accepted?” he said.

Lone said that such a political entitlement was something that was not happening anywhere else in the country and even warned about its potential to compromise the lines between the constitution and institutions.
He urged CM Omar to explain the matter since it was affecting the sovereignty of elected officials.
Lone’s criticism was not only targeting Mehbooba but also the larger picture regarding governance.
He said that if such practices were accepted as routine, the line would be blurred between an elected official and political figures holding no public office.
However, the PDP termed it a political conspiracy.PDP legislator Para said that people should focus more on healthcare services than on constitutional debates.
In his post on X, Para said: “A government backed by 50 MLAs should not be intimidated by a site visit. It should be ashamed that patients are still waiting for world-class healthcare while politics continues to take precedence over people’s lives.”
Para accused the government of failing to prioritise the completion of AIIMS and criticised CM Omar for not conducting regular reviews.
He also alleged that AIIMS officials had been summoned to explain Mehbooba’s visit.
Another defence came from PDP MLA Rafiq Ahmad Naik.
He said there was no constitutional problem in the visit as the project was in his constituency, and the government officials had been officially informed regarding it.

Naik said that there was also a precedent and pointed out that the NC founder, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, would visit prominent establishments like Hazratbal shrine and SKIMS when he himself was out of power.
PDP’s defence of Mehbooba’s actions is that she was not exercising executive powers but only examining the project conceptualised by her father.
For the PDP, the visit represented political accountability and continuity.

However, for its opponents, it crossed into a domain reserved for those holding public office.
The controversy ultimately reflects the evolving nature of politics in post-2019 J&K.
Questions over authority have persisted since the restoration of an elected government.

The coexistence of the LG’s administration and the CM-led government has already created debates about where power truly resides.
The AIIMS episode adds another layer to that discussion.