Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, May 8: Bizarre it may sound, but it is true that there is no education qualification criterion for Departmental Promotees from feeding services, who are inducted into the much sought after Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) cadre.
Sources in administration while expressing regret over this lacuna said, “even as several of these Departmental Promotees from feeding services were occupying several top slots in the State administration, several of them were undergraduates and few others were not even undergraduates”, adding, “while graduation is the basic qualification for direct recruitment in KAS Cadre, there is no such criterion for officials being inducted from feeding departments.
While sources were privy to name these officials, they categorically stated, “several of these officials were inducted due to political patronage and not on the basis of their merit. Posting of these officials at prime positions in the administration over several years has also taken a toll on the working of the administrative machinery”.
“In one such case, an under-graduate, who had only Diploma in English Stenography and Computer Software is presently posted at a senior position with special scale of 37,400-67,000 while in another case, an under-graduate had been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner”, sources said, adding, “there are several other instances when individuals manning prime posts were not even undergraduates. Even the KAS officers list, which has been posted on the website of General Administration Department (GAD), reflects this sordid state of affairs.”
“While the present coalition Government has initiated several administrative reforms, none has bothered to intervene in this situation”, confessed several senior officials.
Promotions into KAS Time Scale had also been mired in controversy for past quite some time and there is also dispute of their seniority pending in Court. “The cases are at their final stage and arguments are being concluded by all the parties involved”, source asserted.
On March 19, this year the State Government had issued an order number 472, whereby 74 officials were promoted to KAS Time Scale. “However, among those inducted were 12 persons, who are junior to left over officers of 2004 batch by 1 to 4 years. The left-over batch had served in their respective departments for almost nine years, but were denied promotions”, sources said.
Sources also commented, “on April, 12 officers of J&K Secretariat I and II (Gazetted) Service and J&K Administrative Officers (Gazetted) Service appointed in 2005,2006, 2007 and 2008 were promoted to KAS time scale while as 59 officials, who were appointed in 2004 after qualifying the KAS exam conducted by Public Service Commission(PSC) were left out.
The KAS Service rules were rechristened in 2008(vide SRO 386 dated 1.12.2008). “But, the rules seem to have marred the career prospects of intended beneficiaries, the Combined Service Officers of 2004 and 2008 batches. The Government order failed to provide benefit to these two batches, by bringing them under the fold of SRO 386. Instead, a selected provision 11(3) of the order is being used in isolation to provide benefit to the Private Secretaries and Administrative Officers and the provision also allows them to supersede their seniors in promotions”, sources said.
“However, even after framing of these rules, where by KAS officers were made a separate category, they continue to be equated with Departmental Promotees. The casual manner in which the new rules deal with the promotion of these CCS officers is reflected in the fact that many of 2011 batch CCS officers are likely to be promoted ahead of 2008 batch, as there is a provision of 25% reservation in favour of the former for promotion to Senior Scale of KAS”.
The State Government had few months back re-constituted Establishment-cum-Selection Committee, an apex body entrusted with taking all policy decisions relating to establishment, personnel management besides induction of officers into KAS besides promotions to various scales. The Committee headed by Chief Secretary has several other members including Commissioner/ Secretary GAD. The Committee has powers to promote officers in the KAS scale as per the requirement. The Committee makes a list of the officers, who are eligible and are to be considered for the inclusion in the final list to be prepared after grading of officers.
The Committee had met on April 23rd this year and cleared the proposal for regularization of several senior officials, who were promoted in KAS scale. “The minutes of this meeting will be signed by Commissioner Secretary GAD by this month end and then the same will be sent to Cabinet for final approval”, sources said.
KAS is a premier service of the State and there is no direct recruitment to the KAS cadre. Appointments are made to this cadre from among the members of the 18 odd feeding cadres, and from the Junior Scale of KAS to which appointments are made through the CCS exams held by PSC .
For 15 long years (1984 to 1999), no recruitment was made by the PSC through CCS examination and during this period, the rules governing KAS were amended from time to time, convoluting the whole process.
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