Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 22: The State Government has constituted a six-member panel to fill up the post of second Vigilance Commissioner in the J&K State Vigilance Commission and a committee which has the mandate to shortlist the name is likely to meet at summer capital of the State after annual Darbar Move.
Highly placed sources told EXCELSIOR that acting on the directions of the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah the Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey has constituted a 6-member panel to fill up the post of the 2nd Vigilance Commissioner, which could not be filled up after the former Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department, M S Khan, whose name was cleared by the Government, withdrew his name citing personal reasons.
“While formulating the six-member panel the integrity of the probables was taken into consideration and even necessary information was obtained from State Vigilance Organization (SVO) and the Law Department”, sources said, adding “as the Chief Minister is very keen to make the State Vigilance Commission fully functional to meet the objective with which it was established by way of enactment of Act, the Chief Secretary has got the exercise, relating to constitution of panel, completed within a week’s time”.
Sources in the Law Department said that the six member panel is comprised of former Principal District and Sessions Judge, Gous-al-Nissa, former Revenue Secretary Kachoo Asfandyar Khan, former senior bureaucrat Tashi Dorjey, former Vigilance Commissioner, Ashok Bhan, Farooq Ahmed Peer, Commissioner Secretary Rural Development Department, who is going to retire from the service in July, and former Inspector General of Police, Mohd Amin Shah.
In response to a question, sources said, “former Principal District and Sessions Judge Gous-al-Nissa is the front-runner among the other probables in the panel because of different reasons”, adding “if selected she would be the first woman Judge to be in any Commission”.
“With six-member panel in hand the Government is likely to convene meeting of the committee, which has the mandate to shortlist the name as per the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Commission Act, after Darbar reopens at summer capital of the State”, sources said.
This committee is comprised of Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Law Minister, Leader of Opposition (or leader of single largest Opposition party) and a Minister to be nominated by the Chief Minister. Following the Selection Committee’s decision the name would be recommended to the Governor for final approval and issuance of order.
“Though no time frame has been fixed for filling up of second post of Vigilance Commissioner it seems that the exercise would be completed within shortest possible time keeping in view the keenness of the Chief Minister to make the Commission fully functional”, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that former Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda and former Financial Commissioner, R K Jerath were appointed as Chief Vigilance Commissioner and Vigilance Commissioner respectively on February 11, 2013. Initially there were rumors that Government may not go in for filling post of 2nd Vigilance Commissioner but with the initiative of the Chief Minister the same have been set to rest now.
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