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| Vohra sheds weight, Bureaucrats go fat | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | July 18
NOW WHAT THEY CAN DO
CS can transfer officers upto Time Scale KAS
Administrative Secretaries can transfer Gazetted officers
CS can sanction upto Rs 20 Crores
Administrative Secretaries can sanction Rs 5 Crores
CS can sanction leave to Secretaries and above
Ten days after assuming all powers of the state government, the Governor NN Vohra has shed the administrative load and instead empowered the top bureaucrats with sweeping powers which one the Chief Minister or the top Cabinet Ministers used to enjoy.
Now under the new set up, the Chief Secretary can affect transfers and postings of the officers of the level of Super Time Scale KAS while the administrative secretaries can shift the officers of the level of Under Secretaries and Assistant Engineers of their departments.
An official spokesman for the Governor said that this new system has been set in order to reduce delays in decision-making and to ensure prompt action on various matters of urgent public importance, the Governor today delegated powers to the Chief Secretary and Administrative Secretaries of different Departments.
He said, the decision to decentralize administrative and financial powers was taken in-principle during the first meeting of the Administrative Secretaries presided over by Governor, Mr N N Vohra, on July 11, the first working day after the Proclamation of the Governor's Rule in the State. Mr Vohra had asked the Chief Secretary to work out a detailed framework of decentralization of powers at two levels – a general delegation that would apply to all Departments and the other involving Department specific delegations.
Under this new mechanism, the Chief Secretary has been empowered to accord administrative approval to all kinds of works/projects under Plan/non-Plan costing over Rs 5 crores up to Rs 20 crores, with the concurrence of the Planning and Finance Departments. He will also effect transfers and postings/adjustments of officers up to the level of the Time Scale KAS officers and equivalent besides sanctioning deputation of officers of the level of Secretaries and above or equivalent for Government business/trainings outside the State but within the country.
The Chief Secretary has also been empowered to sanction all cases of relaxation of Medical Attendance Cum Allowance Rules; relaxation in age/qualification for regularization of daily rated workers and condonation of breaks in qualifying services for regularization in accordance with the provisions of SRO 64 of 1994 within the numbers registered with Finance Department.
The Chief Secretary will also approve formulation of departmental Recruitment Rules (Gazetted/Non-Gazetted) after these have been cleared by Public Service Commission, ARI/Trainings and Law Department, as the case may be. He is empowered to sanction all types of leaves of officers of the level of Secretaries and above besides according approval to voluntary retirement and acceptance of resignations of Government Employees in accordance with the Rules. He has also been authorized to impose minor punishments in accordance with the provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules.
As regards the delegation of powers in favour of Administrative Secretaries of different Departments, the Spokesman said that they have been empowered to accord administrative approval in respect of individual works costing upto Rs. 5.00 crores as prescribed in the Book of Financial Powers. They have also been authorized to release scheme/object wise funds as allowed by the Finance and Planning and Development Departments in favour of the Departments under their administrative control.
The Administrative Secretaries have been empowered to sanction advance drawals upto Rs. 25 lakhs with the concurrence of the FA/CAO, delegate DDO Powers in respect of officers of the Departments under their administrative control with the concurrence of the FA/CAO and accord sanctions for deputations outside the State. They have been authorized to finalize the pension cases in accordance with the Rules, sanction deputation of officers/ officials under their Administrative control in connection with Government business/conferences/trainings etc outside the State but within the country and to sanction all types of leaves in accordance with the provisions of Leave Rules in favour of the officers of the Departments under their administrative control.
The Administrative Secretaries can now issue NDCs on account of House Building/Scooter/Car advance to the employees retiring on superannuation, grant NOC for obtaining passport/ making an application for seeking employment elsewhere and authorize the medical treatment outside the State in cases covered under Medical Attendance Cum Allowance Rules in respect of the employees working in the Subordinate Departments. They can also accord sanction for withdrawal of G.P. Fund in accordance with the Rules.
As regards transfers and postings, the Administrative Secretaries have been authorized to sanction transfers/postings of officers in Gazetted service carrying the pay scale of that of an Under Secretary/Assistant Executive Engineer and equivalent excluding premature transfers, which shall be referred to the Chief Secretary for approval. They have also been authorized to approve constitution of survey Committees, auction Committees, and purchase Committees as per the standing guidelines of Finance Department. They can also sanction condemnation of old vehicles and the purchase of new vehicles in replacement of condemned vehicles with the concurrence of Finance Department. They have been allowed to sanction under rule 18.18 of Jammu and Kashmir Financial Code Volume –I, writing off finally the irrecoverable value of store and livestock lost when there is no fraud or negligence.
In yet another major decision, the Governor delegated Department-specific powers to the concerned Administrative Secretaries. The Administrative Secretary of Planning and Development Department has been authorized to release additionalities upto Rs. 25 lacs in favour of various Departments/DDCs under District Plans, up to Rs 50 lacs in respect of State Plan and to allow re-appropriation of funds. He can convey results of project appraisal to Department, approve Annual Plans after formal adoption, approve revised estimates and to sanction re-appropriation of funds for schemes under BADP.
Similarly, the Administrative Secretary of the Revenue Department has been authorized to issue notifications under Section 6, 7 and 17 of Land Acquisition Act and assign the charge of Administrator Auqaf to various officers of the State Government in respect of various Tehsil Auqaf Committees.
The Administrative Secretary, Law Department has been authorized to file appeals and LPAs, sanction counsel fee in favour of Advocate on record in the Hon'ble Supreme Court and Advocate General of the State for appearance before the Hon'ble Supreme Court and also sanction all kinds of counsel fee in the cases before the Hon'ble High Court, Subordinate Courts and in the acquittal cases besides counsel fee beyond the terms and conditions of the Law Officers.
According to the Notification, the Administrative Secretary, School Education Department has been empowered to decide all issues of implementation of SSA, Mid Day Meal Scheme for School going Children upto the level of 8th Standard and all issues of total literacy campaign (TLC/JSS) besides recognition of Private Schools as per the approved norms.
Similarly, the Administrative Secretary, Higher Education Department will exercise the powers to release Grant-in-aid to the Universities/Colleges and other institutions strictly in accordance with the authorization of planning/Finance Department, granting of NOC for establishment of private College/Institution of Higher/Technical Education or addition of curses in accordance with the policy and to order release of NSS grants to the Universities.
The Administrative Secretary, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department has been authorized to issue retail Fair Price Shop/Retail Kerosene Oil licenses and to decide all transportation cases including carriage of food –grains in areas not finalized by HODs, be decided by the Administrative Secretary so that the distribution of ration is not discontinued due to non-finalization of contracts with the transporters. This measure will not replace the normal tendering process of engagement of transport through tendering process but only in cases of emergencies to make stop-gap arrangement, the decision may be taken by Administrative Secretary on the recommendations of the concerned HODs strictly as a stop-gap arrangement.
The Administrative Secretary, Labour and Employment Department have been empowered to sanction medical reimbursement claims under ESI scheme up to an amount of Rs. 30,000/- in each case.
These decisions are considered a major step towards empowering Administrative Secretaries to enable them to secure immediate clearance of a large number of cases piled up in their Departments. |
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