It is a pity that Home and Finance Departments continue their bickering over an important issue of review of the Jammu and Kashmir Police (Gazetted Service) as well as the enhancing promotional avenues of non-gazetted cadre of JKP. It is unfortunate that at a time when J&K Police are called upon to render very sensitive but very crucial duty of containing terrorism and violence in the State, the mandarins are unable to bring about an understanding among various stakeholders and give serious thought to the issue of review of the strength and composition of Jammu and Kashmir Police (Gazetted) Service. Owing to divergence of opinion among Cabinet members on the proposal that had come up after going through the mill, the Chief Minister was left with no option but to order constituting Cabinet Sub Committee to examine the matter and submit a report before the next meeting of the Cabinet.
We have authentic reports that the CSC has not been able to reach consensus of opinion ever since it was constituted three months ago. It is very disappointing that the members of the CSC has not been able to iron out its differences and thereby undermining the chances of review of J&K police Gazetted services. Not only is the case of review of gazetted police services relegated to back burner but also the case of promotion to higher grades of police services for non-Gazetted workers is collecting dust. Chief Minister is holding the charge of Home Department also. Officials and semi-official sources inform her that the members of the CSC have let down not only the Government but also the police cadres, gazetted and non- gazetted. Three months have elapsed and there is no sign of any report from the CSC.
With the emergence of militancy in the State in 1990, heavy responsibility has come down on the shoulders of the Police force. Their precious lives have become vulnerable to fatal attacks of armed and trained militants mostly from across the border. Police have made tremendous sacrifice in meeting the challenge and many of the brave police men have been martyred while performing their duty towards the State. Such an organization needs sympathy, encouragement and enticement. Those who are supposed to take decisions about their services, promotion and improvement of service conditions sit in their cozy drawing rooms sipping coffee and becoming the arbiters of the fate of those who are facing bullets from the enemy as they sit crouched in the bunkers only to save the civilians from loot, rapine and mayhem unleashed by the militants and jihadis. The Police cannot be treated cursorily. We need to understand their demands and evaluate which is more weighty in the scale giving them small incentives or making sacrifice of precious life in defending the country against subversives. Moreover, the task of fighting terrorism through all possible means is by no means light and easily workable. Who knows how many more years will be needed to resolve the K issue amicably once for all. Central Government is in full knowledge of sacrifices J&K Police is making every day. The jawans who get killed or seriously wounded at the hands of hardcore militants also have human rights and are also the apple of the eye of their parents. Hurling bombs and lethal attacks on police jawans performing their normal duty in crowded places without uttering a single word cannot and should not go unpunished. Rewarding the police force for their heroic deeds in protecting lives and properties of ordinary people is part of recognition of their service. Police cadres have been pinning high hopes on the repot of the Cabinet Sub Committee but it h as belied their hopes and is mired in controversies that end up in denial of rights of the gazette cadres of police organization. Even the matter of promotional avenues of the non-gazetted cadre of the Police Department is gathering dust during the past quite long time, sources informed. The chief minister holds the charge of Home Department. She was eager that the CSC hould take a decision and submit the report. This has not happened. The Committee is non-committal about the time frame of submitting the report. During past on month it has not met even once. Under these circumstances we don’t think there is any compulsion on the CSC to submit its report expeditiously. The Chief Minister can use her powers to take administrative decision and not wait for the Sub Committee to send in the report.
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