Jammu, November 13
The Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is at present engaged in bolstering the relief and rehabilitation measures in earthquake-hit areas and is keen to change the style of functioning of government offices, including hospitals and the Education Department, has decided to seek Cabinet approval to his plan of carrying out a major reshuffle in the civil services and the police.

Initially it was stated that Mr Vijay Bakaya, Chief Secretary, who is scheduled to retire in March 2006, would be retained, but Mr Azad plans to appoint Mr C. Phunsog, IAS officer, who is on deputation to the Centre as the new Chief Secretary.

Sources close to the Chief Minister said by installing officers of integrity on the key posts, Mr Azad wanted to contain the level of corruption in the government offices. Mr Phunsog has functioned as Commissioner in the state and is known for his honesty.

Though more than four senior police officers are in the race for the post of Director-General Police, Mr Azad is said to be in favour of Dr Ashok Bhan, holding the rank of Additional Director-General in the Vigilance while two of his colleagues, Mr Kuldeep Khuda and Mr P.S.Gill also continue to be strong contenders for the DG post.

However, if the Chief Minister gives weightage to seniority, Mr Rajinder Tikoo will be the natural choice for the DG post.

More than 35 police officers of the ranks of SPs, DIGs and IGs were being reshuffled, according to official sources. As far as the civil services are concerned the Chief Minister is likely to transfer eight out of 14 Deputy Commissioners and 25 officers of the rank of secretaries, commissioners and special secretaries.

A plan has been prepared for reshuffling SHOs in more than 260 police stations in the state.

Official sources said the reshuffle plan would be discussed in the Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held here on November 17.

Another major task awaiting Mr Azad pertained to the expansion of his 13-member Council of Ministers. Both the Congress and the PDP have mounted pressure on him to increase the size of the ministry. However, the demand for raising the strength of the ministry to the level that existed during the Mufti regime has been ruled out by him. At the most, he may increase the size of the ministry upto 30.

He has been advised by his trusted men to include a woman and representatives from the Pandits, Sikhs and Gujjar Bakerwal communities besides removing the imbalance in which the Jammu region has got a poor share in the 13-member ministry.

Inside reports said Mr Azad preferred to give top priority to streamlining the state administration and to resolving peoples’ problems than get bogged by the Cabinet expansion.

Jammu, November 13
The split in the Panthers Party, which has four members in the legislative Assembly and one in the Upper House, is likely to benefit the Congress which was mauled by the Panthers in 2002 Assembly poll in Udhampur district.

The Pradesh Congress Committee had been looking for an opportunity to the Panthers Party out of the coalition government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The PCC leadership had tried to persuade the Mufti to severe ties with the Panthers Party because its chairman, Prof Bhim Singh, creating an “embarrassing” situation for the coalition Government with his criticism of its policies. But the Mufti did not want to weaken the coalition.

However, change of guard came handy for the Congress to settle its score with the Panthers Party. Without making serious efforts the tussle between Mr Bhim Singh and Mr Harshdev Singh, a former Minister for Education, made the Congress game easier.

The year-long differences between Mr Bhim Singh and Mr Harshdev Singh further widened after Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad took over as Chief Minister Prof Bhim Singh announced that the Panthers Party would give outside support to the Government for 40 days and watch its performance as far as the implementation of the common minimum programme, especially the execution of the Wazir Committee report, was concerned.

Mr Harshdev Singh did not relish the stand of his mentor. He wanted that the Panthers Party should give unconditional support to the government headed by Mr Azad. In fact Mr Harshdev was not prepared to sacrifice his ministerial post. He realised that dropping him and his party colleague, Mr Yashpal Kundal, from the ministry was the result of his Chacha’s stand on the issue of support to the Government.

Inside reports said at one stage Prof. Bhim Singh wanted Mr Harshdev to leave space for him (Bhim Singh) to get a cabinet post. And when Prof Singh did not budge from his stand Mr Harshdev drove to his Ramnagar constituency in Udhampur district to seek approval from his electorate for his decision to part with Prof Bhim Singh. He received support from Mr Yashpal Kundal MLA and Mr Mushtaq Khan President of the state unit of the party.

Jammu, November 13
Irked over the video sting operation in which his son, Mr Anil Sethi, Additional Advocate-General, has been shown allegedly demanding a “bribe” of Rs 20 lakh for favourable settlement of the multi-crore scam in the Rural Development Department, Mr Justice R.P. Sethi, chairman of the state’s Accountability Commission, has directed the DGP to register a criminal case against his son and those trying to tarnish image of the commission.

Meanwhile, Mr Anil Sethi, has resigned from the post of Additional Advocate-General of Jammu and Kashmir. He told this correspondent over the phone that he had decided to step down in view of the controversy.

He has claimed that the video recording was “doctored” by unscrupulous elements who wanted process of law to be thwarted for saving their own skin. He has offered himself for any inquiry or investigation in the matter.

The episode has put the commission in the dock just within two months of its being established in the state to curb corruption.

Mr Justice Sethi who is a retired judge of the Supreme Court retaliated by saying that the sting operation was the brainchild of certain politicians and bureaucrats, who were against the setting up of such a commission to look into complaints of corruption in high places.

He said that people had confidence in the commission and efforts were being made to create doubts in the minds of the public.

He said that no one, including his son would be spared in case they were found guilty.

In his order on the issue today, Mr Justice Sethi has observed that on October 27 the commission came across certain irregularities, negligence and non-performance by the Minister of Rural Development Department.

The commission observed that the conduct of the minister, prima facie reflected the casual approach by him in according approval to the panchayats’ electrification scheme in the Kashmir valley which ultimately resulted in huge financial loss to the state and benefited some unscrupulous officials. The minister being a constitutional functionary is accountable for his acts, commissions and omissions and required to explain reasons for his action apparently ignoring various vital aspects that were evident from the pages of the file.

Mr Justice Sethi has observed that when the commission sought comments of the minister and the officials concerned who found themselves to have been caught in the net, a conspiracy was hatched to frustrate the efforts of the commission to deal with the corrupt officials and politicians.

Many people appear to be involved in the conspiracy against the commission with the object of making it non-functional.

He has observed “I have come at the crossroads of my life where I have to decide whether I come up to the faith reposed in me by the people of the state or I directly or indirectly defend my son who is reported to be involved in this conspiracy to scuttle the functioning of the commission. I have decided to take such an action which no father might have taken in the living memory in the interest of the institution of the commission and the struggle waged to eliminate corruption”.