IAS officer proceeds on Central deputation; another applies; 4 to join J&K, Ladakh

Two IPS officers also deputed

*Backlog of inductions will be cleared: Dr Jitendra

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Oct 10: With an IAS officer of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre, presently AGMUT, proceeding on Central deputation and another’s deputation clearance in the offing, the Government of India has deputed two IPS officers to J&K and will be sending four more IAS officers to the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh shortly.
Official sources told the Excelsior that IAS officer Simrandeep Singh who has served as the Deputy Commissioner Jammu and held other important assignments in Jammu and Kashmir, has proceeded on the Central deputation.
Simrandeep, who has also served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine Board (SMVDSB), is 2008 batch IAS officer.
Meanwhile, Sushma Chouhan, a 2009 batch IAS officer of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre, now AGMUT has also applied for Central deputation but her clearance from the DoPT is awaited. Chouhan is wife of Simrandeep Singh and has served as DC of Jammu and Samba districts.
On his posting on Central deputation, Simrandeep has been posted as Director Economic Affairs in the Union Ministry of Finance.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has meanwhile posted two AGMUT cadre IPS officers Shree Ram R and Shivan Siddarth of 2019 and 2020 batch respectively to Jammu and Kashmir.
They will join at the Police Headquarters for further posting by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Incharge Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Dr Jitendra Singh told the Excelsior that induction of nearly 24 officers of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) into IAS will also be carried out shortly.
“We have decided that there will be no backlog as far as induction of State/UT level officers into IAS and promotions of Central officers are concerned. We have recently promoted 8000 officers at the Centre. Sixteen JKAS officers were inducted into IAS recently. Remaining 24 vacancies of inductions of JKAS officers into IAS will also be filled up shortly,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
He added that after clearing backlog for promotion of JKAS officers into IAS, the induction process will be made a regular feature depending on the vacancies. The inductions from now onwards will be carried out every year to ensure that there is no backlog, he asserted.
It may be mentioned here that induction of 16 JKAS officers into IAS were approved by the DoPT and MHA on August 2 this year after 12 years.
However, since there were a total of 41 vacancies for inductions into IAS from JKAS officers, sources said 24 or 25 remaining vacancies will also be filled shortly and thereafter inductions will be carried out every year so that no backlog is created.
Inductions kept pending in Jammu and Kashmir due to failure of previous Governments to initiate measures as well because of certain pending legal disputes. However, the present Government initiated the process and took it to logical conclusion.
Meanwhile, the Government of India is likely to post four more IAS officers to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
While three IAS officers are likely to be posted in Jammu and Kashmir, the fourth may be deputed to Ladakh.
Most of them hailed from Northern India and one of them is presently posted in Kerala.
After abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of erstwhile State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had merged Jammu and Kashmir cadre into IAS. Since then, a number of IAS officers from different States are on inter-cadre deputation to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Besides, many AGMUT cadre officers from other States/UTs have also been posted in the two Union Territories with a view to overcome shortage of officers.