Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 28: The decks have been cleared for the elevation of Principal Secretary Finance, Mohd Iqbal Khandey as Financial Commissioner and the formal orders in this regard are expected next month following the reopening of Darbar.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that Government has almost cleared the name of Mr Khandey as he is the senior most IAS officer in the State eligible to be elevated as Financial Commissioner. Mr Khandey, an IAS officer of 1978 batch, is being elevated to the post of Financial Commissioner, which fell vacant due to the retirement of R K Jerath on April 30, 2012.
Following the reopening of Darbar here, Establishment Committee headed by Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal, will meet and clear the name of Mr Khandey following which a formal proposal regarding elevation of Mr Khandey as Financial Commissioner will be placed before the Cabinet by the General Administration Department for approval.
“Mr Khandey could not be elevated as Financial Commissioner soon after the superannuation of R K Jerath as a case against him was pending in the court. Now with the court of law absolving him of all the charges leveled against him he becomes eligible for the elevation”, sources said while disclosing that the rules governing the elevation of IAS officers state that only those officers would be considered for elevation against whom neither any case is pending in the court of law nor any departmental enquiry is going on.
Pointing towards the rules for promotion in the grade of Chief Secretary, which state that all the members of the All India Service, who have completed 30 years of service become eligible for this grade, sources said, “Sonali Kumar and Dr Arun Kumar, IAS officers of 1979 batch, who have also completed 30 years of service, don’t fall in the zone of consideration because of departmental enquiries pending against them”, adding “similarly, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai doesn’t come under the consideration zone because of being junior to Mohammad Iqbal Khandey”.
Moreover, IAS officers of 1977 and 1978 batch—Anil Goswami, Pankaj Jain and Parvez Dewan have already been given Financial Commissioner scale and presently they are on central deputation.
Currently Parvez Dewan is Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism while as Anil Goswami is Secretary in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Pankaj Jain is Secretary in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Khurshid Ahmad Ganai is Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Dr Arun Kumar is Senior Advisor-Policy ASSOCHAM and Sonali Kumar is Principal Secretary, Coordination R C Office, New Delhi.
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