DoPT gave repeated reminders: Dr Jitendra
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 27: Notwithstanding repeated reminders by the Central Government, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has failed to undertake the exercise for conducting cadre review of IAS for last five years due to which the Government of India was unable to increase IAS strength in the State.
The Centre has now pinned hopes on the Governor’s administration that the cadre review of IAS, which was pending since 2013, will be taken up by overcoming the bottlenecks and a fresh reminder in this regard by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is being issued shortly to the State Government.
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh told the Excelsior that regular cadre review would have helped Jammu and Kashmir in getting additional number of posts of IAS.
“However, due to delay in holding of regular cadre review, new IAS officers hailing from Jammu and Kashmir and getting selected by the Union Public Service Commission in new batches were not getting allocated to their home State as the State Government hasn’t projected additional seats,” he said, adding that IAS qualifiers from J&K, who had opted Jammu and Kashmir as their number one preference couldn’t be allotted the home State due to inadequate number of seats.
Dr Jitendra Singh said the cadre review would have helped in increasing strength of the IAS in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said that the Department of Personnel and Training has sent repeated reminders to Jammu and Kashmir Government in the past to carry out the cadre review of the IAS, which would help in increase in total number of quota of the State but the State Government hasn’t done it (the review) since 2013.
“This has deprived Jammu and Kashmir youths, who have been cracking the Union Public Services Commission examinations in good number during the past few years, of serving in their home State,” sources said, adding the DoPT would shortly make a fresh attempt to write to the new State Government on conducting cadre review of IAS as it feels that it stands good chance under the Governor’s rule.
During the cadre review, the State Government can increase or decrease the strength of IAS. However, generally it is increased. In Jammu and Kashmir, the cadre review has not been conducted since 2013.
Meanwhile, according to sources, there has been no change in the DoPT stance of treating Jammu and Kashmir at par with other States in IAS allotment and induction ratio of 67:33.
The previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government had changed Jammu and Kashmir’s ratio to 50:50 i.e. filling 50 per cent IAS posts through induction of KAS officers into IAS and an equal number from fresh IAS recruits. Earlier, it was 67:33 for Jammu and Kashmir also at par with other States i.e. filling up 67 per cent IAS posts through direct recruits and 33 per cent by induction of KAS officers into IAS.
However, according to sources, the relaxation given to Jammu and Kashmir had expired in 2013 and since then it hasn’t been revived. The Central Government remained silent on the subject even when it was repeatedly taken up with them by former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Earlier, the State Government had held marathon discussions with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) over these proposals. But they are pending notification as the Centre has not yet taken decision on whether to restore 50 percent promotion quota or bring it at par with other States (33%),” sources said. The indications were that the Centre might treat Jammu and Kashmir at par with other States though a formal decision in this regard was awaited.
The proposal relating to IAS was cleared by the State Administrative Council (SAC) during the Governor’s rule in 2016. The SAC had recommended increasing the cadre strength to 145 posts and subsequently the proposal was sent to the DoPT as against the present cadre strength of 137.
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