Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 27: Former minister and senior National Conference leader Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today described the posting of an IPS officer against the slot earmarked for IAS and JKAS services as unwarranted and an unhealthy trend, saying such a tendency will have colossal demoralising effect on the civil administration. He termed it as BJP’s double engine Sarkar’s way of governance.
“The way with which the incumbent administration is going ahead, the day seems not to be far when Jammu and Kashmir will have a Chief Secretary from the Police Service (IPS)”, Sadhotra said, wondering whether the ‘Union Territory’ is facing the human resource crunch in the civil administration or the available lot is not competent enough to man the key posts.
Former minister recalled the immense talent of the Civil Services officers available in Jammu and Kashmir in IAS and JKAS, saying some of those rose to highest and envious positions in the Union bureaucracy because of their time tested experience in the challenging situations. They are second to none and can lead the administration from the front, which they have demonstrated with best of their capabilities from time to time. Para-dropping of officers from the other services is direct affront to the civil administration and will have serious implications in delivery on the ground and the governance. In the process the people are going to suffer due to demotivation of the civil officers at various levels, he added.
Sadhotra said there was nothing personal against the police officer posted against the civilian slot, as he may be competent enough in his professional field but in principle such a move is wrong and unwarranted. This will lead to discontent among the officers in the two premier administrative services and retard the growth of eligible officers to the next higher post, he said.
Sadhotra cautioned the Lieutenant Governor’s administration against setting wrong precedence for whatever compulsion or motivation it may have and hoped that the civil character of the Jammu and Kashmir Administration will neither be undermined nor compromised with. He sought immediate course correction by rolling out the order of posting to restore the confidence of the civilian administration.
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