Merger of J&K into AGMUT cadre
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 4: Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy today introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2021, in the Rajya Sabha seeking to replace an Ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of All India Services Officers such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre.
The statement of objects and reasons for the Bill said: “There is a huge deficiency of the officers of All India Services in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The developmental schemes, Centrally Sponsored Schemes and other allied activities suffer due to non-availability of All India Officers in the existing cadres of the Jammu and Kashmir as such there is a requirement of merging it with Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, Union Territories cadre so that the officers in this cadre can be posted in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to meet out any deficiency to some extent.”
The Ordinance signed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 7 amended the J&K Reorganization Act, 2019 that bifurcated the former State into Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Section 88 of the original Act said the members of the cadres of IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service for the existing State of J&K shall continue to function on the existing cadres. The Bill seeks to amend this provision.
For the purpose of bringing clarity to Section 13 of the original Act, the Bill proposes to amend the said section.
The move, according to the provisions of the draft Bill would enhance the pool of officers from other parts of the country to work in Jammu and Kashmir whereas the Union Territory cadre officers would get opportunity to work in other parts of the country.
This would enhance not only the exposure among the officers, but also help Government in meeting requirement of good officers in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.
The notification had said these officers under AGMUT cadre shall function in accordance with the rules framed by the Central Government.
“The members of the IAS, IPS and IFS services for the existing cadre of Jammu and Kashmir, shall be borne and become part of the AGMUT cadre and all future allocations of All India Services officers for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh shall be made to AGMUT cadre,” the Ordinance had said.
Jammu and Kashmir has become 10th State/UT to become part of AGMUT cadre.
Nine other States/UTs, which are already part of AGMUT cadre, include Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Goa, Daman & Diu, Chandigarh, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
Nine States/UTs have total strength of 219 IAS officers including 75 GNCTD, 42 Arunachal Pradesh, 32 Mizoram, 23 Goa, six Daman & Diu, nine Chandigarh, 15 Andaman and Nicobar, three Lakshadweep and 14 Puducherry.
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