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Discrimination with female officers continues ‘None deemed fit to head district administration’ 8/27/2015 11:49:26 PM Early Times Report Jammu, Aug 27: Though the PDP-BJP government has exploded the myth of female IAS officers not being considered fit for running district administration in Kashmir valley, the fact remains that Kashmir division continues to be a headache for female IAS officers. Respective state governments in Jammu and Kashmir have preferred male officers over female ones while deciding placements in Kashmir valley. A look at the administrative archives of Kashmir division reveals that never has a female IAS or for that matter KAS officer entrusted with the job of looking after district administration. From the dawn of freedom in the year 1947 to the present time when PDP-BJP government is in office, young female KAS as well as IAS officers have been kept restricted to Jammu division. Yasha Mudgal's, who was posted as Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, posting being an exception. Female IAS officers are seen in valley but not beyond the premises of Civil Secretariat. On the contrary, female IAS officers are readily chosen to head various administrative departments apart from looking after various districts in Jammu region. Even if a female IAS officer has to be posted on probationary basis, state administration without even doing any groundwork posts them either in R.S.Pura or in Bhaderwah or in other parts of Jammu region. A look at the administrative set-up of various districts in Jammu region explains this without much difficulty. 2009 batch IAS officer Sushma Chauhan is Deputy Commissioner (DC) Reasi while 2011 batch IAS officer Deepti Uppal is Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rajouri. 2007 batch IAS officer Yasha Mudgal is Director School Education (DSE) Jammu. Alongwith Yasha, 2006 batch IAS officer Sheetal Nanda is Deputy Commissioner (DC) Samba. On comparative basis, not even one district in valley is headed by a female officer nor do the administrative offices outside civil secretariat have any female IAS or KAS officer as its head. As stated above, female IAS faces are hardly seen outside the civil secretariat in Kashmir region. Currently, 1979 batch IAS officer Sonali Kumar is Chairman of J&K Special Tribunal. 1999 batch IAS officer Sarita Chauhan is Commissioner/Secretary Higher Education while 2000 batch IAS officer Vineeta Nanda is OSD in the GAD. Nirmal Sharma of 2001 batch is Director of Jammu and Kashmir Institute of Management, Public Administration & Rural Development. 2002 batch IAS officer Dilshad Khan is Commissioner of Enquiries, again a posting restricted to the premises of civil secretariat. Mandeep Kaur of 2004 batch is on leave after having been on deputation in New Delhi. The only exception is Salma Hamid, who is 2004 batch IAS officer and being local from Kashmir valley, has been assigned task of Vice-Chairperson (VC) Srinagar Development Authority (SDA). 2004 batch IAS officer Tasneem Majid is Special Secretary in the Power Development Department (PDD). But none of the females is heading any district in Kashmir valley or some other important position in the state administration. Ask for the reasons and you get no clear cut answer from the state administration. On being forced to speak up, they talk about female officers refusing to accept responsibilities of districts in Kashmir valley. "Hardly an officer comes forward with request to serve in valley. Female IAS officers mostly prefer serving even in the remotest parts of Jammu region than being assigned some task in posh areas or district headquarters in Kashmir region," said an ex-Chief Secretary seeking anonymity. "Being daughter of an army officer, I have never desisted from taking up challenges. If given an opportunity, I would try to come up to the expectations of the state government. We as officers are bound by rules and regulations, which do not allow us to seek postings of our choice," said Sushma. She added that her family was little worried when she was allotted J&K cadre. "I convinced them. And where I am looking after Reasi district," Chauhan added. She too said that there is no such thing that female officers refuse to take up assignments in Kashmir valley. "How could one say no to state government? They post you, according to their wisdom and intellect. You have to deliver," Sushma told Newspoint Bureau. It needs to be mentioned here that J&K has also the distinction of having never had a female Chief Secretary despite availability of decorated female IAS officers. And if the present situation continues, J&K would never have a female Chief Secretary in the decades to come.   Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network     Comment on this Story

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