Early Times Report
Srinagar, Oct 20: Even as the coalition Government boasts about delivering an efficient administration, most of the key departments are virtually headless as they are run on additional charge by officials already assigned charge of other departments.
Sources said officials at the Civil Secretariat have taken a serious note of "growing highhandedness" of a group of Ministers, both from the PDP and the BJP, who behave more like monarchs than elected representatives.
The Cabinet meeting held on October 19 suggests that most of the key departments are virtually headless, as some Ministers want only their "yes Minister officers" to run the affairs of multiple departments.
Take the case of traffic management. At a time when road accidents are witnessing a huge surge in Jammu province and 14 people were killed in a mishap on Tuesday, the Government instead of making the Traffic Police more efficient and accountable, seems to have left it headless.
Instead of giving a full-fledged Inspector General of Police to the department and making him more accountable, the Cabinet transferred IGP Traffic and gave this vital department as additional charge. J P Singh, IGP Traffic, J&K has been transferred and posted as Commissioner, Civil Military Liaison in the Home Department against an available vacancy. Viplav Kumar, DIG, awaiting orders of adjustment in PHQ has been posted as DIG Traffic. Viplav, as per the Cabinet order, will hold the charge of the post of incharge IGP Traffic, J&K till further orders.
In Kashmir province, the Government has transferred Mahmood Shah, Regional Transport Officer, Kashmir, as Joint Director, Tourism. Shah will hold the charge of the post of Director, Tourism, Kashmir, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.
Shafqat Iqbal, Joint Director, Information, Kashmir, on the other hand will hold the charge of the post of Regional Transport Officer, Kashmir, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.
Same is the case with other departments. Sundeep Kumar Nayak, Principal Secretary to the Government, Power Development Department, has been transferred and posted as Principal Secretary to the Government, Relief and Rehabilitation Department, vice Dheeraj Gupta who has been posted as Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Power Development Department. Nayak will hold the additional charge as Chief Executive Officer, Project Monitoring Unit of the 'New World Bank Project'.
Shailendra Kumar, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Labour and Employment Department has been transferred and posted as Commissioner/Secretary to Government, Industries and Commerce Department. He will hold the charge of the post of Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Labour and Employment Department, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.
Saugat Biswas, Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar has been transferred and posted as Project Director, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, vice Deepti Uppal, who will await further orders in the GAD. Biswas will hold the charge of the post of Project Director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.
Some senior officials said a group of Ministers were trying to create "fear psychosis that only yes Ministers would be given postings while others would be punished."
"The rehabilitation of some of the most corrupt officers at prize postings has cleared the air that this Government is not going to fight corruption, but that only the ones who please the Ministers and satisfy their needs would get powerful chairs," said a senior official requesting not to be named. |
