Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 6: State Cabinet, which is meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah tomorrow morning, will accord approval to the promotion of Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, Principal Secretary, Finance Department to the Fixed Scale of IAS and his designation as Financial Commissioner, Finance Department.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Mohammad Iqbal Khandey is being promoted to the Fixed Scale of IAS with effect from April 10, 2010 and the period of his suspension with effect from June 29, 2006 to March 18, 2007 will be considered as on duty in terms of Rule 5(B) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.
Upon his promotion, he will be designated as Financial Commissioner, Finance Department, sources informed.
In terms of the Indian Administrative Service (Pay) Rules, 2007 and the guidelines issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), a member of Indian Administrative Service becomes eligible for promotion to the Fixed Scale of IAS on completion of 30 years of service subject to availability of vacancy and a Screening Committee headed by the Chief Secretary assesses the suitability of the officers for promotion to the Fixed Scale of IAS.
As per the Rules, four IAS officers could be placed in Fixed Scale and since three officers were already in this scale, the Screening Committee in 2010 reckoned one vacancy for being filled on immediate basis and accordingly considered the service record of Anil Goswami, who had completed 30 years of service in IAS. Accordingly, he was recommended for promotion to the Fixed Scale prospectively from the date of issuance of the order against one vacancy in the Fixed Scale.
As Mr Goswami was on the offer list for posting as Additional Secretary at the Centre and a post in the Fixed Scale of IAS was likely to get vacated by him and one more vacancy was likely to become available due to retirement of S S Sahni holding the Fixed Scale of IAS, the Screening Committee assessed the service record of Pankaj Jain (on Central deputation) and Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, sources said.
However, Pankaj Jain didn’t revert to the State as such the Fixed Scale of IAS could not be released in his favour from the date Anil Goswami after his promotion to Fixed Scale of IAS was relieved to join his new posting at the Centre, sources said, adding even the vacancy could also not be utilized for Mr Khandey as a criminal case against him was still pending in the court of law”.
“Now, with the acquittal of Mr Khandey of all the charges by the Court of Additional Sessions Judge, CBI Court at Chandigarh, he becomes eligible for his promotion to the Fixed Scale of IAS”, sources said, adding “he is being promoted with effect from April 10, 2010—the date when the vacancy in this scale became available due to central deputation of Anil Goswami”.
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