Seeks proposals for posting in 2 UTs
*LGs to be consulted before clearing names
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 9: In a significant decision, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has opened the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh for the IAS and IPS officers of AGMUT Cadre (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territ-ories excluding Andaman & Nicobar Islands) and invited proposals from the officers interested in positing in the twin UTs through their respective Lieutenant Governors.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has written to the administration of all Union Territories to send proposals of IAS and IPS officers of AGMUT cadre who want inter-cadre positing in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
“The IAS and IPS (but not the IFS) officers will have to write to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs through their concerned Lieutenant Governors for getting posting in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” as per the proposal.
The Ministry of Home Affairs in consultations with the Lieutenant Governors of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will post the IAS/IPS officers of AGMUT cadre to the two UTs.
Sources said the proposal will also help the IAS and IPS officers of Jammu and Kashmir posted in various Union Territories under AGMUT cadre to get inter-cadre deputation in the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh and serve in their erstwhile home State.
At the same time, the two Union Territories will also get the services of some experienced officers from other UTs including New Delhi whose officers also fall in the category of AGMUT cadre.
As a one-time relaxation, sources said, some of the IAS and IPS officers of Jammu and Kashmir allotted cadre of other States might also get a chance to serve their home Union Territory. Though this is not the part of present proposal, such a possibility can’t be ruled out as J&K and Ladakh are running short of IAS and IPS officers and to fill the strength, the Centre might explore this option too, they added.
“The Home Ministry has identified some of the IAS and IPS officers for positing in Jammu and Kashmir,” sources said. It may be mentioned here that after Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory, some IPS officers were sent on deputation to J&K and posted in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Sources confirmed that the list of IAS and IPS officers after being finalized by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for posting in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will be cleared in consultations with both the Lieutenant Governors of the UTs.
After Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were made the two Union Territories on August 5 last year following bifurcation of erstwhile State of J&K and scrapping of special Constitutional provisions including Articles 370 and 35-A, the Central Government had allowed IAS and IPS officers posted in Jammu and Kashmir to retain the J&K Cadre and announced that from 2020 batch, the Civil Services officers will be posted in the two Union Territories from AGMUT cadre.
Presently, a number of officers from Jammu and Kashmir including IAS, IPS, JKAS, JKPS and others have been posted in the Union Territory of Ladakh in view of acute shortage of officers at all levels there.
“Positing of AGMUT cadre IAS and IPS officers in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will also overcome shortage of officers in the two categories in the two Union Territories,” sources pointed out and said the process of posting will begin once the Ministry of Home Affairs receives the proposal from the interested officers.
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