Centre grants J&K LG control over telecom services for public safety

New Delhi, May 7, 2026: The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a notification through The Gazette of India stating that the President has directed the Administrator of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise specific powers regarding telecommunications.

Under the new directive, the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory will discharge the functions of the State Government as defined under sub-section (2) of section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.

This authority remains subject to the control of the President and will continue until further orders are issued.The notification, issued under S.O. 2288(E) and dated May 7, 2026, relies on clause (1) of article 239 of the Constitution.

Praveen Kumar Rai, Joint Secretary to the Government of India, signed the order which empowers the local administration to oversee telecom operations within the Union Territory.

This move centralizes the regulatory functions of the sector, ensuring that the Lieutenant Governor can act on matters typically reserved for state-level governance under the current legal framework of the Telecommunications Act.