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| Who rules JK by the way? | | One State, 3 CMs | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 20: "Too many cooks spoil the broth" is a well known proverb. And something similar seems to be happening in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Two former Chief Ministers, Dr Farooq and Ghulam Nabi Azad who hold important portfolios in the Union Cabinet are taking decisions giving the impression that Omar Abdullah may eventually prove to be an ineffective Chief Minister.
The harsh fact came to fore when the appointment of new Chief Secretary was being discussed in the Cabinet. Sources said that the Cabinet recommended Iqbal Khanday who is currently Financial Commissioner (Finance) for the chief secretary's post, but some Congress Ministers opposed the recommendation and urged Omar to consult Azad.
Sources said Omar agreed to consult Azad before a final decision. Pertinently the incumbent Chief Secretary Madhav Lal has been recommended for the post of secretary in the Union Health Ministry. Muhammad Iqbal Khanday was recently promoted as the Financial Commissioner of J&K.
People Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the state is being run by at least three CMs, including Omar Abdullah. Omar is a constitutional Chief Minister but his father Dr. Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad are taking key decisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Government without consulting him. In fact they are acting as CMs," alleged Mehbooba Mufti, President PDP.
The NC workers at a recent meeting at Jammu paid more attention to the former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq. The workers approached him with the complaints that Ministers were reluctant to solve their problems.
He said in Working Committee meet that besides the officers, the Ministers and legislators of the National Conference party must listen to the problems of the people and solve it locally so that they don't have travel to Jammu or Srinagar to register their complaints.
On Dec 8, a meeting was convened by Dr Farooq Abdullah. Several officers of the State were present. There were also some bureaucrats waiting for him in an adjacent room to remind him of their loyalty for him when he was Chief Minister of the State. It is common knowledge that Dr. Farooq Abdullah had earlier held a series of meetings with the chief secretary Madhav Lal and the former Director General of police Kuldeep Khuda and the present DGP Ashok Prasad. While Omar Abdullah was present in some of these meetings, sources said that he was a mute spectator when Dr. Farooq Abdullah instructed the officers of the State to ensure that the image of the party was not tarnished by the opposition parties, his own party's goons and "some officers who were still loyal to former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed".
Former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad too holds series of meetings with the top officers whenever he visits the State. Even Abdul Rahim Rather, the Finance Minister and some other Ministers from Congress are busy taking decisions on their own. If sources in the Jammu and Kashmir Government are to be believed, Omar Abdullah comes to know about most of the decisions from newspapers only next day. For example, a decision to suspend an engineer, CM has to release their suspension orders after consulting the Minister concerned of the department. But the State Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir don't seem to be bothered about such niceties, or protocol. They have suspended many engineers without consulting the Chief Minister. However sources placed in the power department said as the Power ministry is with Omar Abdullah we receive Shabir Khan's or some other Minister's order to disconnect power supply in one district and give to the other. The problem becomes more complicated because Omar Abdullah doesn't give any order on his own. He only repeats what senior IAS officers and other Ministers suggest, said the officer. |
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