*Repeated communiqués of DoPT fail to get result
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 22: Notwithstanding the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is facing shortage of Indian Administrative Service officers and promotion related grievances of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service officers have remained un-addressed during the past quite long time, State Government is soft-paddling on cadre review of IAS and KAS and repeated communiqués of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in this regard have fallen on deaf ears.
As per the All India Services (Cadre) Rules, 1954, the cadre review of IAS is conducted after every five years by the Department of Personnel and Training of Government of India on the proposals of the respective States. In respect of Jammu and Kashmir State, the cadre review of IAS had become due in 2014.
Though the DoPT sent a number of reminders to Jammu and Kashmir for submission of IAS cadre review proposal, there was no response from this State. Even in the recent meeting of Principal Secretary/Secretaries of General Administration Department of all the States convened by the DoPT, the issue of delay in submission of proposal for cadre review by J&K figured and officer attending the meeting was asked to expedite the same.
“What to talk of submitting cadre review proposal, Jammu and Kashmir has even adopted delaying tactics in furnishing annual information vis-à-vis requirement of IAS officers to the DoPT”, sources said, adding due to this the State is facing shortage of IAS officers. As against sanctioned strength of 137 IAS officers in respect of J&K, there are only 98 in place and the State is facing shortage of 39 IAS officers during the past some years.
The non-serious approach towards cadre review of IAS and KAS can be further gauged from the fact that the State Cabinet vide its Decisions No.93 and 94 dated August 19, 2015 constituted Cabinet Sub-Committee to review the cadre review proposal for the Indian Administrative Service and Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service commonly known as KAS.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh and comprising Minister for Health and Medical Education, Ch Lal Singh, Minister for Science and Technology and Animal Husbandry, Sajjad Lone, Minister for Finance, Dr Haseeb Drabu and Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar was asked to submit its report within one month—by September 20, 2015.
“What to talk of submitting report, the Cabinet Sub-Committee failed to meet even once despite the fact that one month period has lapsed”, sources said while disclosing that the meeting was scheduled to take place last week but due to non-availability of some members of the Cabinet Sub-Committee the meeting had to be postponed.
“The non-holding of even one meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee clearly indicates that Government is soft paddling on the cadre review”, sources said, adding “the non-serious approach is notwithstanding the fact that J&K is facing shortage of IAS officers and promotion related issues of KAS officers have been hanging fire during the past quite long time”.
It is pertinent to mention here that despite facing shortage of IAS officers, the J&K has not taken any decision vis-à-vis adopting 67:33 quota for IAS officers whereby States get 67 per cent IAS officers from Government of India after their selection through the Union Public Services Commission while 33 per cent from promotion of State cadre officers. J&K is getting only 50% of the IAS officers and promote rest of the 50% from within the State cadre.
According to the sources, the objective of the cadre review is to restructure a cadre to remove the deficiencies which might be existing at the time of the constitution of a service or have crept in subsequently and ensure that the cadre structure satisfies the functional, structural and personnel considerations.
The cadre review provides an opportunity to overcome various bottlenecks, remove existing distortions and bring about rationalisation of cadre structure so as to improve the efficiency and morale of the cadre officers and thereby enhance the effectiveness of the service in the fulfilment of the objectives for which it has been established.
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