Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 22: In a major boost for local cadre officers—the Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS), the Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) on cadre review of Administrative Services today recommended creation of several new posts in the administration for KAS officers, both inside and outside the Civil Secretariat.
However, at the same time, the CSC ensured that the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers were not let down and recommended that only IAS officers should be posted as the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of “critical districts’’.
The CSC finalized its recommendations after two hour long meeting this afternoon under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Incharge Power and Housing and Urban Development Departments. All other four members of the CSC were present. They included Education Minister Naeem Akhter and Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu (both from PDP), Health and Medical Education Minister Choudhary Lal Singh and Animal Husbandry and Science and Technology Minister Sajjad Lone.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the recommendations will be placed before the next Cabinet meeting to take final call on the cadre review of IAS and KAS officers, which had been ordered by the Government following resentment among the local cadre officers that they were not getting their due postings.
Sources said the CSC has ordered creation of eight new posts of Joint Directors in the Education Department, all of which will go to the KAS officers.
The teaching faculty will be eligible only up to the posts of Chief Education Officers (CEOs) and equivalent posts while the posts of the Joint Directors will go to the KAS officers.
There will be one Joint Director of Education each for Jammu-Samba-Kathua, Udhampur-Reasi, Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban, Rajouri-Poonch, Srinagar-Ganderbal-Budgam, Baramulla-Kupwara-Bandipora, Anantnag-Pulwama-Shopian-Kulgam and Ladakh.
“This will rejuvenate the education system in Jammu and Kashmir,’’ sources said, adding that presently there was only one Director Education each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions. The Director Education Jammu had to look after 10 districts while the Director Education Kashmir is looking after 12 districts (10 of Kashmir and two from Ladakh).
The creation of eight new posts of Joint Directors will help solve problems of teaching faculty and administrative problems at sub region level, sources said, adding a teacher from remote border district of Kupwara or Surankote in Poonch district wouldn’t have to come to Srinagar or Jammu respectively for his/her grievances.
In another significant decision, the CSC has recommended that posts of Directors of four Departments, which have separate Directorates for Jammu and Kashmir divisions like Tourism, will also go to KAS officers. It has also recommended bifurcation of four more Directorates with separate heads for Jammu and Kashmir (the KAS officers).
At the same time, the CSC recommended that out of 22 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, 14 should go the IAS officers and eight to KAS officers. Initially, it was of the view that IAS and KAS officers should share 50:50 posts of the Deputy Commissioners.
It recommended that “critical districts’’ like Jammu and Srinagar, the twin rotational capital cities of the State, should be given to the IAS officers as far as the post of the DC was concerned. However, it proposed that only experienced IAS officers, who had worked as Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and Assistant Commissioners.
“No IAS officer should be posted directly as the Deputy Commissioner,’’ the CSC proposed.
The CSC recommended increase in posts to be held by the KAS officers like HoDs, Managing Directors etc.
The CSC also mooted series of proposals to streamline the administration and give due share to the officers of KAS to address genuine complaints of the local Civil Services officials.
It has proposed that the posts of Secretaries should be increased to accommodate more KAS officers.
It has also suggested separate Administrative Secretaries for Hospitality and Protocol, Information and Tourism Departments to accommodate more officials.
The CSC was constituted in August this year by the Cabinet following complaints by the KAS officers that they were getting raw deal in the civil administration.
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