Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 15: In a bid to streamline the functioning of Police Department and usher reforms at all levels, Director General of Police, Ashok Prasad has constituted two high level Committees comprising several senior officers.
The Committees will deal with the issue of Personnel Management at different tiers in the Department. The senior level Personnel Management Committee will deal with issues confronting officer of the level of Deputy Superintendent (DySP) and above while the second Committee will deal with issues from the level of Inspector to constables.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that the senior level Committee comprising several senior officers is being headed by Additional Director General of Police (Law, Order and Armed), K Rajendra Kumar while the junior level Committee is headed by IG Technical, Sheikh Owais Ahmad.
Both the Committees had held several meetings during the past few months. The members of the senior Level Personnel Management Committee included few officials of the rank of Inspector General (IG) while the other Junior Level Committee has also some officials of the rank of Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs).
Sources stated that the senior level Committee would look into all the issues pertaining to the service condition of gazetted officials and also address all concerns pertaining to stagnation in the Department.
“The Committee will cover several issues of the Police Department ranging from the issues of powers, transfer policy, career planning and the prime objective would be to introduce transparency in the overall functioning of the force at all levels”, sources asserted.
The senior level Committee would also look into the issue of Kashmir Police Services (KPS) caderisation, which had been pending for quite long time. “At present the Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) officials get two more scales than their counterparts in Police Department. This has led to lot of resentment among the Police professionals at different levels and the recommendations are likely to end this disparity”, sources asserted.
The Caderisation of KAS was done in 2008 during the tenure of former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad with the issuance of SRO 386 for Civil Services in Jammu and Kashmir. But, no effort had been made for extending similar benefits to their counterparts in Police Department. Non-caderisation of KPS has deprived timely pay and grade revision of these officials, particularly of 1999 batches, who may attain the age of superannuation in the rank of SSP, which is equivalent to the Special Secretary in Civil Service.
The Senior Personnel Management Committee had also visited several neighbouring States and held series of meetings with the officials there. “The officials had held threadbare discussions over the system prevailing in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and few other States. Also special emphasis is being issued to the subject of Career Planning, which is a major grievance of several serving Police officials”, sources emphasized.
Sources added, “the Career Planning policy is likely to be framed in such a manner that all the competent officials get career opportunities in the Department and it doesn’t remain the prerogative of few blue-eyed persons. Every person serving in the Department shall be entitled to professional growth at different levels”.
“The Committee will also deal with the issue of powers associated with a particular post in the line of Police Management. For instance, it would define the powers associated with the post of IG, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and other posts”, sources said.
“The Committees headed by Sheikh Owais Ahmad has also submitted it’s Interim Report to the higher officials and the final report will be submitted after further deliberations on the issue”, sources asserted.
Both the Committees will submit their final recommendations to their respective heads in due course of time, which will be than further forwarded to the Government for final implementation.
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