*Regional Branch of IIMC to come up in Jammu
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 18: State Cabinet, which is meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, tomorrow will order transfers and postings in the civil administration besides taking decision on the routine administrative agenda. During the reshuffle, the Cabinet is likely to change Administrative Secretaries of some departments.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Cabinet is scheduled to meet at Civil Secretariat, Srinagar at 9 am and this would be the last meeting of the highest decision making body before the closure of Darbar at Summer Capital of the State on October 31.
The Cabinet, as per the draft resolution moved by the General Administration Department, would ratify transfers and postings of the officers ordered vide Government Order No.1223-GAD dated September 9, 2015. Vide this order, the GAD had posted the then Financial Commissioner (Revenue), Dr Arun Kumar as Vice-Chairman and Director General, Jammu and Kashmir Institute of Management and Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD).
Moreover, by way of this order the Government had given additional charge of Financial Commissioner (Revenue) to Dheeraj Gupta, Commissioner Secretary to the Government, Relief and Rehabilitation Department till further orders and Nirmal Sharma, the then Director IMPARD was ordered to await further posting in the General Administration Department.
The Cabinet will also ratify the Government Order No.1253-GAD dated September 15, 2015 whereby the then Financial Commissioner Industries and Commerce Department, Khurshid Ahmed Ganai was transferred and posted as Chairman, Bureau of Public Enterprises J&K.
“While ratifying these orders, the Cabinet will also accord sanction to the proposal prepared by the General Administration Department in consultation with the Chief Minister regarding transfers and postings in the civil administration”, sources said while disclosing that Cabinet will shift Administrative Secretaries of some departments.
Quoting some examples, sources said that at present the post of Administrative Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department is lying vacant. In this department, numerous posts of various levels are also lying vacant during the past quite long time. Similarly, there is no Administrative Secretary of the Planning and Development Department at present and Chief Secretary, B R Sharma is holding this post in addition to his duties as head of the bureaucracy.
They further disclosed that many Director level posts particularly in Kashmir valley have also been lying vacant during the past quite long time and Cabinet will fill up the same while ordering reshuffle in the civil administration. “The possibility of Cabinet ordering transfers and postings in the Police Department cannot be ruled out as a proposal has also been prepared in this regard by the Home Department”, sources informed.
According to the sources, the Cabinet will also accord sanction to the proposal of the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department regarding regularization of two Joint Directors as Directors of Animal Husbandry Department.
Dr Jaswant Singh will be regularized as Director with effect from March 1, 2000 and Dr M K Misri from June 1, 2004 as recommended by the Establishment Committee in its meeting held on July 7, 2015.
The Cabinet will also accord sanction to the transfer of State land (presently under physical possession of Jammu Development Authority) measuring 35 kanals in village Keran of Tehsil Jammu North to the Higher Education Department for its further lease to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for establishment of Regional Branch of Indian Institute of Mass Communication.
Stating that land will be leased to the Union Ministry without charging any premium and on payment of a nominal ground rent at the rate of Re 1 per kanal per annum, sources said that lease shall be initially for a period of 40 years from the date of issuance of formal order.
Similarly, the Cabinet will put seal of approval on transfer of land measuring 6 kanals and 13 marlas belonging to the Estates Department in Srinagar district to the Srinagar Development Authority for development of amusement park.
Sources said that Cabinet will also give nod to the proposal of the Forest Department vis-à-vis declaration of erstwhile GLU employees as Quasi Permanent. “By way of carrying out certain modifications in the Government order of 2003, the Government is going to make eligible 30 left over employees of erstwhile Government Lumbering Undertaking to serve in the State Forest Corporation”, they said, adding “with this these employees would be entitled to the pensionary benefit”.
Follow our WhatsApp channel