Finance, High Court and Advocate-General

Funds and accounts (Sections 67 to 74)

• Consolidated Fund of the UT of J&K: all revenues, grants and loans received by the UT form this fund (Section 67). Withdrawals follow rules made by the LG.
• Public Account (Section 68) and Contingency Fund (Section 69, sized by Assembly law, for unforeseen expenditure).
• Borrowing within limits set by Assembly law, and guarantees (Section 70).
• Accounts are kept in the form prescribed by the LG after advice from the CAG, and CAG reports go to the LG, who lays them before the Assembly (Sections 71 and 72).
• Section 73: failure of machinery. If the President is satisfied that the administration of J&K cannot be carried on under the Act, the President may suspend its provisions. Section 74 lets the President authorise expenditure meanwhile.

Expenditure and revenue (Sections 80 to 83)

• For six months from the appointed day, expenditure was authorised by the Governor and then the LG (J&K), and by the Governor and then the President (Ladakh), pending sanction by the Assembly or Parliament.
• The Fourteenth Finance Commission's award for the old State was divided between the two UTs by the Centre, mainly on the population ratio (2011 census). The Fifteenth Finance Commission covers the J&K UT, and Ladakh is supported by Central grants (Section 83).

High Court (Sections 75 to 78)

• The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir becomes the common High Court for both UTs (now called the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh).
• Existing judges continue. Their salaries are shared between the two UTs on the population ratio.
• The Advocates Act, 1961 is amended to create the Bar Council of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Advocate-General (Section 79)

• The LG appoints the Advocate-General of the UT of J&K, a person qualified to be a High Court judge.
• The Advocate-General advises the government, has the right to appear in all courts of the UT, and serves at the LG's pleasure.