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| Avoid sacrificing competence and seniority on alter of domicile | | | Gareeb Dass
Jammu | June 4
The PDP leadership seems to implement its self-rule concept in Jammu and Kashmir by raising the issue of state subject even for appointment of only a local bureaucrat as the Chief Secretary. It got the opportunity for exposing its card when the moment reports appeared in the media that S S Kapoor, who had, after completion of the IAS, was placed in the Jammu Kashmir cadre was to be appointed Chief Secretary the seat having fallen vacant after B.R.Kundal decided to hang his boots, the coalition partner of the Congress opposed it on the plea that only a state subject should be installed as head of the state administration. No doubt he hails from Himachal Pradesh and as such he is not a state subject but being the senior most officer Kapoor deserved to be the Chief Minister.
The PDP leadership,in its self-rule document,favours appointment of a state subject as the Governor who has to be elected either by the state legislature or by a separate electoral college constitituted for the purpose.It also favours scrapping of various central laws and placing Jammu and Kashmir out of the jurisdiction of the Election Commission,Supreme Court and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.Though the National Conference has,in its autonomy resolution,has favoured a status similar to the one being demanded by the PDP but this time the main opposition party did not raise any objection to the plan of appointing Kapoor as Chief Secretary.The National Conference leadership could not have reservations on the matter because its patron had opted for a nonstate subject Chief secretary,Ashok Jaitley,twice.A few weeks before the 1996 Assembly election majority of National Conference leaders were seen frequenting the residences of M.L.Kaul and Vijay Bakaya.I recall some of the NC leaders,who were sure of their party getting the mandate for regaining power,would be seen discussing either with Kaul or with Bakaya on the style one of the two would adopt when either of them would be appointed as Chief Secretary.And when the NC was voted to power and Dr Farooq Abdullah was to be sworn in as Chief Minister he rushed to Delhi and brought with him Ashok Jaitley and B.R.Singh,both being nonstate subjects,appointing the former as the Chief secretary and the latter as Commissioner.The duo was more powerful than the Chief Minister because both of them had the source of their authority and strength in Dr Abdullah.
The state of Jammu and Kashmir has a long history of having heads of the administration and the police who belonged to outside the state.Between 1965 and 2002 the state had a few local chief Secretaries,including P.N.Kaul,Noor Mohammed,Sheikh Ghulam Rasool.During this era we had a large number of nonstate subjects who headed the civil administration.It was after 2002 that we had four local chief secretaries,including S.S.Beloria,Vijay Bakaya,C.Phunsog and B.R.Kundal.During this era we had a few local officers who headed the police, Peer Ghulam Hassan Shah,Jeelani Pandit,M.M.Khajuria.If Kuldeep Khoda succeeded in replacing Gopal Sharma as DG police it was because of the PDP's favour for a local officer.
And if the PDP leadership insists on appointment of only a local officer as the Chief Secretary it would mean that a Kashmiri who belongs to 1974 IAS batch has a chance.He is S.L.Bhat.There are six officers senior to him and most of them belong to 1972 batch.No doubt the post of chief secretary and the DG police are selection posts and even a junior officer can be appointed as head of the civil administration and police but those officers who are senior,even if their number is more than seven they have to be placed in the Chief Secretary and DG's payscale.If it is a burden on the state exchequer it is not so important as son of the soil issue could be when no competent officer belonging to the IAS or IPS cadre refuse to be given the Jammu Kashmir cadre or are posted in this troubled state. Other states may emulate Kashmir pattern and refuse Kashmiri IAS or IPS officers' postings in their provinces.The problem can further increase when the state Government and professional colleges across the country will not open recruitment and admission doors for employees and students belonging to Kashmir.Political observers fear that such a situation could further retard the level of integration of the state with the rest of the country.
Let the state subject issue remain limited to political appointments.Let competence and honesty be not sacrificed on the alter of state subject. |
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