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Monday,
November 11, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Mufti calls for attitudinal shift
Fear of transfer grips officers Govt to review rules for Ladakh council Justice after 14 years |
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| Three ultras among 4 killed Srinagar, November 10 Three militants were among four persons killed and a boy was injured in separate incidents in the Kashmir valley since last night, a police spokesman said today. Two militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen were shot by security forces in an encounter at Bardan village in Badgam district, he said.
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Mufti calls for attitudinal shift Jammu, November 10 Addressing a joint meeting of the Cabinet and the District Development Board, Udhampur, second in the series, this morning, the Chief Minister said the agenda of the government was to vigorously implement the common minimum programme and do justice with all sections and regions of the state. The common minimum programme (CMP) had been drafted under the guidance of economist and former Union Finance Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh, that takes care of the accumulated problems. He told the administration to live up to the expectations of the people of the state and work with devotion so that changes in the system were felt at the grass roots. He said if the people were treated well, peace would gradually dawn on the state, as there would be little scope for element inimical to normalcy to exploit the masses. The administration had worked in very difficult times, he said hoping that they would not miss the opportunity of serving the people, as they were tools to implement the policies and programmes of the government. We don’t claim of carving out a new world but we definitely want a change in the system in consonance with the aspirations of the people. For this, the administrative
hierarchy would have to change and be accountable at all levels, Mr Sayeed said. He added that his government did not rush to the ritual of massive administrative shake up immediately after taking over because ‘we would wait and watch the performance of each officer as we believe in performance’. Everyone has to perform leaving no room for laxity, he said. He told the top-ranking officials to strengthen the monitoring system for the effective implementation of various schemes and conduct extensive tours of areas under their jurisdiction. Referring to the development of the district, the Chief Minister announced an additional grant of Rs 3 crore and said each constituency would get Rs 50 lakh out of it. Besides, he gave sanction to several works on the spot in response to the demands put forth by the legislators. He approved a tubewell for Udhampur town at a cost of Rs 50 lakh and sanctioned another Rs 20 lakh each for improvement and cleanliness of the holy Devika and health centre Budhan Mahore. He asked the District Development Commission to come up with a proposal for supplementing medicines at various animal and sheep husbandry units in the district. |
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Fear of transfer grips officers Jammu, November 10 The reasons these bureaucrats fear a sword dangling on their heads. “We do not know where we will be shifted”, said a senior government officer. The element of suspense has deepened because the Chief Minister has not carried out any major reshuffle, except that three Commissioners have swapped places, Mr Iqbal Khandey having been appointed Principal Secretary to the Mufti and Mr K.B. Jandial transferred as Jammu Municipality Administrator and appointed Director, Information. In addition, nearly 170 personal assistants to ministers in the Farooq Cabinet have been sent to their parent departments. The government has indicated that screening would be done to weed out employees appointed by ministers in their personal offices. Mr M.K. Raina, private secretary to the former Chief Minister, has been redesignated and appointed as Special Assistant to Dr Farooq Abdullah. The government has also stripped the pilot of the state-owned aircraft of the status of Commissioner, Secretary, Civil Aviation. The charge of Civil Aviation has been given to the Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary, Mr Mohammed Iqbal Khandey, whose reputation as an honest and able administrator is well-tested. The state government has conveyed to the Centre that 31 officers in the Central Services cadre, having remained on deputation to several Union Ministries and corporations for the past several years, be returned to the state. This has further caused panic among senior officers who have been serving in the state as they fear that either they would be given less important departments or repatriated to the Centre. Since the Chief Secretary, Mr I. S. Malhi, has a month left for his retirement, the Chief Minister has to find a suitable person for the key post. At present Mr K.B. Pillai, is on the top of the list as far as seniority is concerned, but he has not more than six months left for retirement, the Government is keen to have an officer as Chief Secretary whose retirement is at least two years away. At one stage the Chief Minister and some senior Congress leaders were in favour of Mr Wajahat Habibullah as Chief Secretary. Mr Wajahat as Divisional Commissioner had proved a successful bureaucrat and he rose to the occasion during the Hazratbal
siege in 1993. Reports said Mr Habibullah is reluctant to join as Chief Secretary because of health problems. It is learnt that Mr M.S. Pandit, who is holding the rank of Additional Chief Secretary, may emerge as a consensus candidate for the post. What has surprised senior political leaders and bureaucrats is the way some blue-eyed boys of Dr Farooq Abdullah and his Principal Secretary, Mr B.R. Singh, are trying to uncover some skeletons in the cupboard of the National Conference government. Indications are that the Mufti would carry out a reshuffle of senior officers in a phased manner and that too after the Cabinet expansion likely either towards the end of the month or in the middle of next month. He would not like to create the impression that he has adopted a policy of vengeance against all those officers who had stood by Dr Farooq Abdullah and his ministers. |
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Govt to review rules for Ladakh council Jammu, November 10 The meeting was chaired by the Finance, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Beig, and attended among others by the Chief Secretary, Mr I.S. Malhi, Chairman, LAHDC, Mr Topstan Chewang and Minister of State for Works, Mr Nawang Rigzin. The meeting, which discussed various administrative, developmental and legal issues was a sequel to the discussions which the delegation had with the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed last evening where proposals were discussed for accelerating the pace of development in Ladakh. It was decided to undertake a comprehensive exercise to review the rules and regulations and frame new rules or incorporate amendments wherever necessary as per time-bound programme to ensure the LAHDC had the necessary powers, the delegation of authority and the administrative wherewithal to meet the legitimate aspirations of the people. The main issues discussed in the meeting today included legal framework of the LAHDC, administrative relationship between the LAHDC and the state government and tourism and economic development plan for Ladakh. The Finance Minister gave full assurance to the delegation that their legitimate demands and the release of funds within the capacity and jurisdiction of the government would be ensured earnestly. He said the Chief Minister was determined to provide all necessary support for accelerated development of the Ladakh region. He said the government would make every effort to ensure full cooperation and support to the LAHDC for the promotion of various projects of tourism and for adequate empowerment of the council. Mr Beig said the government would seek adequate funds under the special economic package from the Centre for the development of tourism and other critical infrastructure in the region. |
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Justice after 14 years Jammu, November 10 Ultimately, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court came to his rescue by ordering his reinstatement. In a significant judgement, Mr Justice T.S. Doabia said the inquiry proceedings “are found to be actuated by bias”. In his 24-page judgement, Mr Justice Doabia said the findings recorded by the Madhya Pradesh High Court “are reiterated. The petitioner would be entitled to reinstatement and all other consequential benefits, including promotion.” The Judge said the respondents “are, however, left free to hold fresh inquiry and proceed in accordance with the law.” Mr Sudesh Kumar had filed a petition in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court challenging the order in which he was placed under compulsorily retirement in January, 1998. The Madhya Pradesh High Court had ordered his reinstatement in 1995. Although the ITBP authorities reinstated him in October, 1995, yet they dismissed him on the same day. He was even denied the pay. Mr Sudesh Kumar filed a contempt case in the Madhya Pradesh High Court against the ITBP. The Sub-Inspector filed a petition again in the same court and in 1997 his reinstatement was ordered with all consequential benefits. He was reinstated and, then he was placed under compulsory retirement. The saga of struggle started in 1988 when Mr Sudesh Kumar informed the ITBP authorities regarding the misuse of training allowance at the training centre in Mussoorie. Thereafter, the training allowance was slashed from 30 per cent to 15 per cent throughout the country. The ITBP authorities were infuriated, according to Mr Sudesh Kumar, who said, “I was framed in a fictitious case and arrested on April 17, 1990.” A CBI probe was ordered. The CBI, however, acquitted him. Later departmental inquiry was ordered against him and he was placed under suspension in 1990. Since then, he had been fighting a legal battle against the ITBP. Mr Sudesh Kumar, who belongs to Jammu, told The Tribune that the ordeals, he and his family had suffered during the past 14 years, “read like a horror story.” |
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Three ultras among 4 killed Srinagar, November 10 The encounter took place when an army column moved into the village to flush out the militants. Three AK assault rifles were seized from the slain militants, the spokesman said. A pro-Pakistan Hizbullah outfit militant Riyaz Ahmad was killed by Rashtriya Rifles personnel at Dandwara forest in Anantnag district. The exchange of fire took place when militants attacked a Rashtriya Rifles search party, the spokesman said. He said a decomposed body was recovered from Sonabrari forest in the Kokernag area of Anantnag today. The victim, identified as Ghulam Qadir Bhat, had been kidnapped by militants about two months ago. The spokesman said a boy, Maqbool Hussain, was injured in crossfire between militants and security forces at Gursai in the border district of Poonch today. In downtown Srinagar, about 50 women staged a dharna at Botakadal to demand the release of a local youth Mohammad Yousuf Teli, arrested by the BSF on Tuesday. They dispersed following an assurance by the police that the matter would be taken up with the BSF and Teli, if found innocent, would be set free.
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