Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 5: The Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) on “Restructuring of Police Cadre” today finalized its recommendations but in the absence of two PDP Ministers ruling out conferment of higher ranks like DIGs and IGPs to Kashmir Police Service (KPS) officers without their induction into the IPS but agreed to their demand for release of time-bound grades at par with Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.
Sources told the Excelsior that four Cabinet Ministers-three from BJP and one from PDP-who attended the CSC meeting chaired by veteran BJP leader and Minister for Industries and Commerce Chander Prakash Ganga finalized the recommendations and sent them for approval of two PDP Ministers, who were absent.
Chaired by Ganga, the CSC meeting was attended by Health and Medical Education Minister Bali Bhagat, Forests Minister Choudhary Lal Singh (all three from BJP) and Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu (PDP). Works Minister Naeem Akhter and Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister Choudhary Zulfkar Ali (both from PDP) were not present at the meeting.
Sources said the CSC finalized its recommendations and then sent them for approval of two Ministers.
As per the recommendations, the KPS officers would get time-bound grades of Selection Grade DySP, Additional SP, SSP, DIG and above after stipulated period of time like four to five years as was the case in neighbouring States of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. However, they will not be given the rank of DIG or IGP till they were inducted into the IPS.
The CSC said it would have no objections if the KPS officers are posted against non-cadre posts like Joint Director and Deputy Director in some of the wings.
“We have given maximum benefits to the KPS officers. Whatever we can do, we have done,” a CSC member told the Excelsior after the meeting. He added that the pattern followed by the neighbouring States of Jammu and Kashmir for release of time bound pay scales to local cadre police officers will now be adopted in the State. However, the CSC recommendations will be subject to approval by the Cabinet.
The CSC member hoped that the recommendations would satisfy the KPS officers, who have been doing commendable job in fighting militancy and unrest in the Kashmir valley.
The issue of posting of KPS officers as DIGs and IGPs without their induction into IPS had snowballed into a major controversy after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had left the Cabinet meeting on December 9 last year when her proposal for posting of KPS officers as DIGs and IGPs was opposed by the BJP Ministers.
Later, the Government had formed six members CSC to sort out the issue. However, with both BJP and PDP sticking to their stands, the CSC hardly met once or twice during past about six months. During past few days, the talks were held between the two Alliance partners and finally a consensus was reached on release of time bound grades for the KPS officers, sources said.
Certain startling facts had come to the fore regarding discrimination with KPS officers after the issue surfaced in December last year. At least 50 posts of Indian Police Services (IPS) from the quota of KPS officers’ induction into the IPS are lying vacant in Jammu and Kashmir since 2008. At least 75 KPS officers are working as Superintendents of Police (SPs) for the last 11 years without any further promotion.
The CSC has decided to recommend to the Government to expedite process for induction of KPS officers into IPS so that they are posted on the higher posts.
Delay in fixation of seniority of KPS officers and other SPs was attributed as major reason for non-induction of KPS officers into IPS and their promotion to the next grade, sources said.
They said though the induction of KPS officers into the IPS is an annual exercise, in Jammu and Kashmir not a single KPS officer has been inducted into the IPS since 2008 i.e. for the last eight years. This has resulted into stagnation and leaving 50 posts of IPS from KPS officers’ quota vacant. Still, there seems to be no seriousness on part of the Government to resolve the issues and set the stage for induction of KPS officers into the IPS.
Nearly 75 KPS officers were last promoted in 2005 from DySPs to SPs. And, for the last 11 years, all of them are still working as the SPs with no further promotions.
“Had the Government set the things right and work out proper mechanism, today 50 KPS officers would have inducted into IPS and got promotions to higher posts like DIGs. Presently, only IPS officers can be promoted as DIGs and above,” sources said, adding that it was responsibility of the Home Department to clear all bottlenecks in induction of KPS officers into the IPS and their promotions so that the police officers, who have been doing commendable job in anti-militancy front in the disturbed Jammu and Kashmir State don’t get demoralized.
The fixation of seniority of the KPS officers was also responsibility of the Home Department.
“Unless the seniority list of the KPS officers is finalized, there will be no promotions and no induction of KPS officers into IPS,” sources said, adding that the State Government should ensure fixation of seniority of the KPS officers immediately as all promotion and induction related issues of the KPS officers can be solved only through finalization of the seniority list.
Sources said the KPS officers hadn’t asked for anything extraordinary. They just wanted to be at par with KAS officers as both had qualified same exam.
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