30 officers sitting idle, drawing fatty salaries without work
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 5: Throwing rules to winds, 10 non-technical officers have been posted against the technical posts in the Geology and Mining Department in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Official sources told the Excelsior that after the abrogation of Article 370 in the Jammu and Kashmir, new experiments are taking place in the UT with the initiative of people at the helm of affairs without caring for the existing rules and norms. Geology and Mining department is the worst example of such an experiment, where 10 non-technical officers have been posted against the positions which are filled up by the people having technical qualifications.
Sources revealed that in sheer violation of the rules and guidelines as enshrined in the SRO-105 of dated March 31, 2016, the UT Administration posted 10 District Mineral Officers amongst the JKAS officers in the Jammu and Kashmir recently, having no technical qualification as provided in the Act, governing Mining activities in the country. This is again, the violation of the Cabinet Decision No. 4 of 2017 and Govt order No. 33-IND of 2017 dated 17-02-2017 of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, which clearly states that “ All the District Mineral Officers are to be drawn from the category of Drillers, Geologists Grade-II, Mineral Officers in the Grade Pay of Rs 5600 from the existing cadre strength of the Geology and Mining Department.”
It further clarified that the ‘District Mineral Officer’ means, an officer of the G&M Department from the discipline of Mining/ Geology and Drilling, possessing a Degree or Diploma in Mining or MSc in Geology or Mechanical/Agricultural Engineering.
Interestingly, setting aside all the norms and rules and even the Cabinet order, the UT Administration posted JKAS officers as District Mineral Officers in Jammu, Kathua, Srinagar, Pulwama, Samba, Udhampur, Baramulla, Rajouri, Anantnag and Kupwara, having no such technical qualifications vide Govt Order No. 121-JK (GAD) of 2022 dated 4-2-2022. It was mentioned in the order that 10 posts from the over all cadre strength of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services at the level of Time Scale of JKAS were transferred to the Mining department for the purpose of drawl of salary of these officers.
This first ever move has made at least 10 officers of the G&M Department to sit idle and moreover, these officers were not made part of ‘common pool’ of the officers from where they could be transferred to the other departments for utilizing their services properly as done in case of feeding cadre of JKAS officers. Already about a score of officers are sitting idle in the department and with the appointment of 10 new officers from outside, about 30 officers are now without work in the Department and drawing fatty salaries, thus exerting extra burden on the public exchequer, the sources added.
Referring to a recent order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court titled ‘Pankaj Kumar Vs State of Punjab and others’, dated 7-2-2022, the sources added that even the Court has clearly mentioned about the qualifications for the post of Mining Officer, giving reference of the All India Act governing mining activity and the Rules there in, as an MSc Geology or BSc in Mines or Diploma in Mining from Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad. The case pertains to challenging the criteria for the posts of Mineral officers/Mines officers in the State of Punjab by the aggrieved candidate in which the Court passed clear directives to the Government in this regard. The Court also referred to ‘The Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulations) Act, 1957’ and mentioned that the Act was infact, enacted to provide for development as well as regulations of mines and minerals activities in the country.
Sources revealed that the Department was facing problem in smooth handling the affairs pertaining to mining activity by the non-technical people and they have been taking help of the technical staff for carrying on the day today activities. Besides controlling minor mineral activities, the Mining officers are supported to perform others activities like preparation and approval of Mining plans, district survey reports, demarcation of mining/mineral blocks, preparing feasibility reports for hilly/mountainous highways/railway tracks, tunnels and dams. Since the J&K UT falls in Seismic Zone IV, Geologists/Mining Officers are supposed to prepare technical reports before launch of major projects here. This new move has caused set back to such activities and moreover, it has given additional advantage to the mafia from the outside controlling illegal as well as legal mining activity in J&K, specially in Kathua, Samba, Jammu and Udhampur having great potential besides Srinagar, Anantnag and Pulwama.
Director Geology and Mining, J&K, OP Bhagat when contacted admitted that JKAS officers, five in Kashmir and five in Jammu have recently been placed as District Mineral Officers, against the posts of Technical people. He said controlling minerals is not only activity in the department but there are multi-farious activities being performed by the Mining Officers including conducting surveys, mappings, preparing mining reports. The new officers are being assisted by the other technical staff as well to carry out these activities, he added.
When asked whether these 10 JKAS officers were sent in G&M on experiment basis, Bhagat said he can’t say whether they have been sent on experiment basis or permanently by the Government but it is also true that rules don’t permit as the technical qualification is required for the position of a Mining officer. He said even PhD in Geology, MSc Geology and Post Graduates in Mining/ Drilling (engineers) are there in the Department to carry the activities effectively. Many officers are sitting idle and their services are needed to be properly utilised. Replying to another question, Director said officers from G&M Department have not been taken in the feeding cadre of the JKAS so far but Government can think over it in future, Bhagat said.
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