Posting details, performance of HoDs being analyzed
18 IAS officers holding addl charge of deptts, other wings
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 1: Massive reshuffle in the civil and police administration of Jammu and Kashmir is on the cards as a detailed exercise is being conducted in the General Administration and Home Departments in this regard. This would be first major administrative rearrangement after the formation of Union Territory on October 31, 2019.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that on the instructions of Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu and Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam an exercise has been set into motion in the General Administration and Home Departments regarding massive shake-up in the administration.
“The reshuffle has become imperative as large number of IAS officers are presently holding the additional charge of several Government departments and other wings while as several KAS officers have completed the tenure of two years on the particular posts”, sources said.
They further said, “there is also resentment among large number of officers of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service that only selected ones are getting important positions in the administration while as others are being ignored for unknown reasons, Moreover, several KAS officers have been placed under their juniors in some districts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir”.
The concern over these issues has already been conveyed to the Lieutenant Governor as well as Chief Secretary by the KAS officers. On December 27, a delegation of KAS officers had requested the Lieutenant Governor for posting of senior most KAS officers at Secretary level positions.
Even many departments in the Civil Secretariat don’t have sufficient number of Additional Secretaries, the posts which are generally held by the KAS officers, as a result of which disposal of files has suffered major setback, sources said while disclosing that in some major departments there is only one Additional Secretary as against the requirement of two-three Additional Secretaries and Special Secretary and the prevailing situation demands posting of sufficient number of KAS officers as Additional Secretaries in the Administrative Departments.
According to the sources, posting details of the KAS officers, who are holding HoD and equivalent level posts, and their performance are being analyzed in the General Administration Department on the directions of the Chief Secretary before major shake-up which will be ordered in consultation with the Lieutenant Governor any time during the current month.
As far as IAS officers are concerned, 18 of them are holding additional charge of different departments and other wings at present. “No doubt the officers who have been assigned the additional charge are trying their level best to do justice with all the departments under their charge but most of the times they find it difficult to dispose of the files expeditiously and pay timely attention towards the vital issues, sources added.
As per the data of the General Administration Department, Bipul Pathak, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor is holding additional charge of Administrative Secretary of Information and Technology and Science and Technology Departments and Chief Executive Officer of Jammu and Kashmir e-Governance Agency.
Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary to Government, Housing and Urban Development Department is holding the additional charge of the post of Principal Resident Commissioner J&K Government, New Delhi besides of Smart Cities and proposed Jammu/Srinagar MRDA.
Dr Asgar Samoon, Principal Secretary Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department is holding the additional charge of the post of Administrative Secretary, Transport Department. Similarly, Navin Kumar Choudhary, Principal Secretary to Government, Industries and Commerce Department is holding the additional charge of the post of Administrative Secretary, Tourism Department.
Dr Pawan Kotwal, Financial Commissioner Revenue, is holding the additional charge of the post of Inspector General of Registration while as Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Commissioner/Secretary Forest Department is holding the additional charge of Commissioner Secretary, Information and Social Welfare Departments.
Hirdesh Kumar Singh, Commissioner Secretary, Power Development Department is holding additional charge of Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Power Corporation Limited while as M Raju, Managing Director J&K Projects Construction Corporation is holding the additional charge of the post of Excise Commissioner. Manzoor Ahmed Lone, Secretary to Government, Horticulture Department is holding the additional charge of the post of Administrative Secretary Agriculture Production Department.
Farooq Ahmed Lone, Administrative Secretary General Administration Department is holding additional charge of Director General J&K IMPARD while as Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, Additional Chief Executive Officer Metropolitan Regulatory Authority is holding the additional charge of MD/CEO Mass Rapid Transit Corporation and MD CEO Srinagar Metro Rail Transport Corporation and Vice-Chairman Jammu Development Authority.
Similarly, Deputy Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar are holding the additional charge of Chief Executive Officers of Jammu, Srinagar Smart Cities Limited although independent CEOs are required to be appointed by the Government.
Ravinder Kumar, Managing Director, J&K SIDCO is holding the additional charge of the post of MD J&K Trade Promotion Organization while as Owais Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer JAKEDA is holding the additional charge of Managing Director J&K RTC and Transport Commissioner.
“If the Government really wants to improve the functioning of the departments and other wings it should initiate steps to bring an end to the prevailing adhocism”, sources stressed.
They further disclosed that even Home Department is conducting detailed exercise to make reshuffle in the police administration. “Several SSP/SP rank officers will be shifted in the coming days”, sources added.
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