Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 18: Keeping the ‘extension policy’ alive despite much criticism from different quarters, the Government has decided to further extend the period of submission of report by the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) on creation of new administrative units and formal approval in this regard will be given by the State Cabinet tomorrow morning.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that General Administration Department has moved a proposal seeking extension in the period of submission of report by the Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted to examine the modalities for the implementation of Mushtaq Ganaie Committee report on creation of new administrative units in the State, up to December 31, 2013.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand was constituted on July 24, 2013 to examine the modalities for the implementation of the Mushtaq Ganaie Committee report and take on board fresh demands. The Committee had to complete the entire exercise within a period of one month but during the past five months it is seeking one after another extension on one or the other pretext.
“The period of last extension had expired on November 30, 2013 and now the latest extension is being granted after a gap of 18 days, which puts question mark on the seriousness of the Cabinet Sub-Committee as well as the General Administration Department”, sources said, adding “it is also not known whether the Cabinet Sub-Committee would be able to accomplish the task by December 31”.
“The latest extension is being sought on the ground that all the suggestions/demands received in the office of Deputy Chief Minister (Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-Committee) and other members of the Committee were forwarded to the Revenue Department where these are in the final stages of consolidation and would require more time”, sources said.
They said that since Parliament elections are round the corner and Model Code of Conduct would be in place in the near future nobody knows whether the creation of new administrative units would become reality especially when one after another extension is being sought by the Cabinet Sub-Committee, whose report is mandatory to initiate further step.
It is pertinent to mention here that Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Minister for Agriculture Production, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Planning and Development Department and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs are the members of the Cabinet Sub-Committee.
According to the sources, the Cabinet will also take decision on proposal of the General Administration Department vis-à-vis incorporation of new scales in the cadre of Principal Private Secretaries of HoD Cadre.
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