Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, Dec 18: In a major rebuff to the National Conference – Congress coalition, Governor N N Vohra has for the second time, returned the file pertaining to the appointments of Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman and six other members, due to inability of the State Government to provide “appropriate information” about the proposed candidates.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR, “the Raj Bhavan had returned the file again few days back, while stating that the information provided by the General Administration Department (GAD) was still deficient in many ways”.
“Earlier, the Raj Bhavan had returned the file to GAD on October 23 and had raised several queries about the politically motivated move of the State Government to rush through the appointments, without going into the merit of the recommended persons”, sources said adding, “the Governor’s office had sought details of Annual Performance Reports (APRs) of all previous years of these candidates, their integrity certificates, property statements, etc., which were missing, when the actual proposal was submitted”.
Dwelling further, sources said, “this time again, the Raj Bhavan had returned the file with noting that the required information about the proposed seven new candidates was still missing despite the previous reminder”, adding, “specific mention has also been made regarding the APRs and few other documents”.
“Raj Bhavan was also peeved over the manner, in which the State Government was trying to push through the proposal. Further, several complaints about the proposed members had been received at Raj Bhavan, which had further complicated the case”, sources asserted.
As PSC Chairman and members hold Constitutional posts, their appointments need the consent of the Governor ever after the appointment have been cleared by the State Government. The State Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah had cleared the proposal for appointment of the PSC Chairman and six members on October 10 and hurriedly sent the file to Raj Bhavan for its concurrence.
Observers opined that the decision of the State Government to push these appointments at the fag end of their tenure has raised several eyebrows. “All the proposed appointments for the prestigious institution were politically motivated and had been decided after a sharing pact between National Conference and Congress. Each of the coalition partners had been ‘authorized’ to recommend three names each and thereby, making a mockery of the entire process”.
Sources said, “the desperateness on part of State Government can be gauged from the fact that it had sought clearance from the Election Commission of India (ECI), before re-submitting the proposal to the Governor, after the opening of durbar in the winter capital on November 11. The move comes barely when few days are left for the conclusion of the on-goingelectoral polls in the State as final phase will be held on December 20 and results would be declared three days later”.
It is pertinent to mention here that on October 10, the Cabinet had appointed Khurshid Ganaie, Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary Industries and Commerce as the new PSC Chairman for a term for five years and six members including Wali Mohammad Bhat, Retired DG Accounts and Treasuries, P L Lachotra, Retired DG Statistics and Planning and Mukerjeet Sharma, IFS, ex-Director Soil Conservation — all three from Jammu; Sheikh Mushtaq, former Secretary Higher Education Department, Dr Tejit Singh, Retired HoD Ophthalmology and Farooq Kallu, Retired Director, Animal Husbandry Department — all three from Kashmir. These appointments had been marred into controversy ever since their announcement as the NC-Congress coalition had publicly claimed that the posts would be equally shared by the two coalition partners.
Moreover, what was the need to rush through these appointments at the fag end of their tenure, when the posts were lying vacant for several months altogether. “The Government chose to push this political agenda only when they got sufficient hints from the Election Commission that elections were likely to be announced in the State”, sources added.
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