Legal position sought on fixed tenure postings
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 29: Governor NN Vohra today went tough on political and other appointments like vice chairpersons of various Boards and Corporations and Advisors/Consultants in different Departments as he directed the General Adminis-tration Department (GAD) and other Administrative Secretaries to submit detailed reports to him by July 3 even as he appointed retired senior bureaucrat Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, who had yesterday resigned as State’s Chief Information Commiss-ioner, as his third Advisor.
The Governor has directed for acceptance of resignations of all political appointees, who had resigned after collapse of the PDP-BJP Government following withdrawal of support by the BJP to Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP Government and imposition of Governor’s rule in the State on June 19.
An official order issued today by the General Administration Department (GAD) on directions of the Governor said the concerned Departments should ascertain legal position about political appointees, who are holding statutory positions with a fixed tenure and submit necessary proposal for consideration by July 3.
“Most of the political persons appointed in the Corporations/Boards during the previous Government have submitted their resignations, which should be processed as per the applicable procedure by the concerned Departments for acceptance with immediate effect from the date the resignation was submitted,’’ the order said, adding that the concerned Department will obtain approval of the resignation by the competent authority on July 2.
The Government order said in respect of the cases (resignations) to be submitted to the Governor for acceptance, they will be forwarded by the concerned Departments to the General Administration Department by July 3, which will further send them to the Governor in consolidate proposal by July 3.
“However, as far as the political appointees, who are holding statutory positions with a fixed tenure, are concerned, the concerned Departments will ascertain legal position and thereafter submit necessary proposal to the Governor for consideration by July 3,’’ sources said.
They added that the Governor wants to be sure about political appointees with fixed tenure as to whether they had to resign after fall of the Government or can complete their tenure. A decision on them will be taken only after ascertaining the legal position.
On the appointments of Advisors/Consultants in various Departments by the previous Government, the Governor has directed all the Administrative Secretaries to review forthwith all such appointments and submit their concrete recommendations on the desirability of continuation or otherwise to enable the Government to take a decision.
The information/recommendations on Advisors/Consultants have also been sought by July 3, the Government order said.
Meanwhile, Governor NN Vohra today issued formal order appointing Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, an IAS retired officer of 1982 batch of Jammu and Kashmir cadre as his Advisor from the date he assumes charge. With this, total number of the Advisors has gone up to three. The Governor has already appointed BB Vyas, former Chief Secretary of the State and K Vijay Kumar, Security Advisor in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, as his two Advisors.
Ganai will be allotted Departments once he assumes the charge.
Another Government order issued today said the Administrative Secretaries/ HoDs, who are invited to the meetings convened or chaired by the Chief Secretary, they should attend the meeting in person. However, in the event of non-availability of Administrative Secretary/HoD for the meeting due to prior engagements, he should be represented by his next senior most officer with advance information to the Chief Secretary.
Similarly while the Director General of Police should usually attend meetings chaired by the Chief Secretary, in the event of his non-availability, he may depute an officer of the level of ADGP for the meeting.
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