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| Expanded cabinet’s first meeting today | | On agenda: chiefs for SIC, SAC, PSC, SERC; transfers and postings | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 13: The headless commissions, statutory and constitutional bodies are expected to get their chiefs soon as the recently expanded cabinet of Omar Abdullah will have its maiden meeting in Srinagar tomorrow. Transfers and postings at top to middle echelons of Police and in the middle order of administration are also high on the agenda, sources said.
Crucial issues of hiking salaries of state government employees and matters related to the upcoming budget session of state legislature are also in the cabinet agenda. Omar’s Cabinet now has 18 members, including the Chief Minister. The meeting is being held at the Civil Secretariat at 11 am.
Sources said that the Cabinet will discuss, besides other issues, the appointments of State Information Commissioner (SIC), Chairpersons of State Accountability Commission, Human Rights Commission, Public Service Commission and State Electricity Regulatory Commission. The Cabinet will also discuss the political and security scenario prevailing in Kashmir Valley following a string of cases of the violations of human rights.
It is pertinent to mention here that the State Accountability Commission (SAC) formally set up in 2003 with Justice RP Sethi as its first Chairman is defunct since April 15 this year. The SAC which was one of the main USPs of the Congress-PDP coalition government had run into controversies few months after its establishment. In March 2006, the government amended the SAC Act to put two more members on the Commission. Its first Chairman Justice Sethi resigned in protest in May 2006 alleging ‘government’s undue interference in independent working of the Commission”.
One of the two members of the Commission, Justice JL Raina acted as Chairman of the Commission, after Sethi’s resignation. The commission is without chairman from last eleven months after its last chairman Justice JL Raina attained superannuation as per the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act, 2002. Justice Muzaffar Jan, who was a member of the Commission, also retired on April 15 this year leaving the SAC completely defunct.
Sources said that government has finalized the incumbents for the full commission comprising of chairman and two members.
The State Electricity Regulatory Commission awaits new chairman since May 21 when K B Pillai attained age of superannuation after serving it for various years. Last cabinet meeting deferred the appointment of chairman SERC— a statutory body setup under an act of the State Legislature to regulate power sector in the State—after a three-member committee headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recommended names of S M Desalphine, a 1973 batch IAS officer of J & K cadre and Akhtar Hussain Kochak (Principal secretary Law) for the post.
Public Service Commission also awaits chairman after the retirement of Mohammad Shafi Pandit, who served it for five years. Dr Nisar Ahmed Jan is currently acting chairman of the PSC.
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