J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Junior officer’s appointment triggers row
Jammu, December 11
A controversy the result of a recent minor reshuffle in the bureaucracy, has arisen in the finance and allied departments, engaged in the formation of budgetary provisions of various ministries.

Improper use of police ‘hits anti-insurgency drive’
Jammu, December 11
Lack of proper utilisation of the police force is said to have affected the anti-insurgency campaign and the drive against criminals in Jammu and Kashmir.

Militant among two killed
Srinagar, December 11
Two persons, including a militant, were killed while security forces seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition across Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

6 workers injured in clashes
Jammu, December 11
Six workers of two trade unions of the Baglihar and Sawalakote hydro-electric power projects clashed with each other over holding a protest demonstration against the management in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir today, official sources said.

Junior officer’s appointment triggers row
Our Correspondent

Jammu, December 11
A controversy the result of a recent minor reshuffle in the bureaucracy, has arisen in the finance and allied departments, engaged in the formation of budgetary provisions of various ministries.

The conflict has risen following posting of Mr B. B. Vyas, an IAS officer of 1986 batch, as Secretary, Finance. Sources in the civil secretariat revealed that several senior IAS officers have not relished the appointment of Mr Vyas, to the post of Commissioner Secretary, Finance, in place of Mr Kundal, an IAS officer of 1972 batch, who too is considered an efficient officer with fair experience in handling budgets.

Though Mr Vyas, continuing on the post of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, is yet to assume the charge of the Finance Department, his absence is creating administrative hurdles in the smooth functioning of the Finance Department in the run up to the formulations of the budgetary provisions of each department.

Sources said that several senior IAS officers are personally refusing to attend the routine meetings in the Finance Department as another junior officer, a non-IAS, Director Budgets, Mr Ravi Magotra has been asked to chair the meetings to formulate budget proposals of each department thus creating a piquant situation for many seniors who do not wish to attend such crucial meetings with their junior sitting in the hot seat.

Posting a junior officer as Finance Commissioner and that too when the exercise for budgetary formulations was on, has been the first instance in the state.

A senior officer in the civil secretariat said that in 1983 when the then Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, wanted to shift Ms Sushma Chowdhary, Financial Commissioner, senior bureaucrats advised Dr Farooq to defer the move as Ms Chowdhary could interact properly with the members of the seventh Finance Commission.

The officer said Ms Chowdhary was transferred a day after the members of the Finance Commission left the state. He said that senior bureaucrats should have suggested to Mr Azad to bring Mr Vyas to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat instead of posting him as Finance Commissioner.

This was not done encouraging several departments, including law, tourism, PDD and education, to send their junior officers to attend the meeting being presided over by the Director, Budget. Even an officer of the rank of Under Secretary was sent from the Raj Bhawan to attend the meeting.

Mr Vyas, who is at present Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, is yet to assume charge as Financial Commissioner because the high court had directed the government that till the completion of the earthquake relief measures the transfer of Divisional Commissioner be deferred.

Sources said, in his haste to appoint men of integrity on certain key posts, the Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, seems to have ignored the sentiments of several senior officers who could have been posted in Financial Department in place of Mr Vyas.

“There is no dearth of senior officers capable of handling Finance Department,” argues a section of senior bureaucrats. “We have nothing against our junior officer Mr Vyas. He is brilliant officer and is well known for his integrity. But you cannot expect seniors to take orders from their junior officers,” say senior bureaucrats demanding anonymity.

The ongoing crisis in the Finance and allied departments is bound to reflect on the budget making process unless the Chief Minister took immediate steps to respect seniority and place the right person for the right job.

Improper use of police ‘hits anti-insurgency drive’
Our Correspondent

Jammu, December 11
Lack of proper utilisation of the police force is said to have affected the anti-insurgency campaign and the drive against criminals in Jammu and Kashmir. Police sources said that during the past 16 years the police strength has been raised from 30,000 to over 70,000, but the services of more than 10,000 policemen are utilised on providing security cover to political leaders, bureaucrats and other protected people.

According to these sources, on paper the increase in the number of policemen in each police stations and posts does not match the ground realities because men from these stations are withdrawn to get deployed as guards at the residences of protected people.

One senior police officer said that since 1990 there had been no proper review of the requirement of the police force and of the availability of men for taking on the militants. He said during the past 16 years more than eight police battalions were added in the state but the decision on raising additional battalions usually was taken at the political level without giving any thought to the requirement the Jammu and Kashmir state had.

He said from each fresh battalions more than 20 per cent men were deployed on providing security to the protected people leaving a small force in the police stations and in the field. He said the police control rooms in Srinagar, Jammu and other major district headquarters remained more engaged in fulfilling the security demand of political leaders.

The officer explained that politicians belonging to the ruling parties and the opposition usually demand additional security cover during their tours in their constituencies.

Several police officers favoured setting up of a committee of senior police officials for preparing a detailed report on the requirement of men for tackling the activities of militants, for dealing with the day-to-day crime and for providing security to the protected people. Once this exercise was completed the government could get an idea about the number of men each police station required and about the number of additional battalions to be raised for meeting the shortfall.

Another officer, who has served in Kashmir for several years, said the police in the field did not get timely intelligence inputs from the central intelligence agencies with the result that more than 60 per cent operations against the militants proved unsuccessful. The agencies first communicated the inputs to officers or the HQ and by the time “they reach us they are stale.”

Militant among two killed

Srinagar, December 11
Two persons, including a militant, were killed while security forces seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition across Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

A powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast rocked the Baramula town late last night, official sources said.

They said militants exploded the IED at Khanipora in north Kashmir’s Baramula district when a convoy of security forces passed through the area.

However, there was no loss of life or property, the sources said.

The impact of the blast was so powerful that its sound was heard in the radius of about 5 km.

The spokesman said unidentified gunmen shot dead Mohammad Amin Ganai, a butcher, at his shop in Chandilora near Tangmarg last evening.

Security forces killed a militant during an encounter at Zangalpora Kulgam village in south Kashmir district of Anantnag last evening.

An AK rifle, a hand grenade, one pouch, three magazines and 20 rounds were seized from him, the spokesman added.

Security forces seized two hand grenades concealed in a milk container from a matador near the Grid station at Behama Chowk in Ganderbal on the outskirts of Srinagar city.

The Jammu and Kashmir police and security forces, in a joint search operation at forest area of Shah Nagari in the frontier district of Kupwara last evening, seized 5 kg of explosives, six UBGL grenades, five hand grenades, one binocular, one pistol, six magazines, two wireless sets, one antenna and 130 rounds.

Security forces also seized four RPG rockets, four UBGLs, six grenades, three magazines and about 350 rounds from a militant hideout at Budhal in Rajouri district of the Jammu region.

Security forces also seized fake currency of Rs 1.64 lakh from a Maruti van which was on its way to Baramula from Kupwara at Ladoora. — UNI

6 workers injured in clashes

Jammu, December 11
Six workers of two trade unions of the Baglihar and Sawalakote hydro-electric power projects clashed with each other over holding a protest demonstration against the management in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir today, official sources said.

The Khohistan Workers Association of Sawalakote Hydroelectric Power Project and one faction of the Chinab Workers Association of Baglihar Power Project wanted to hold a protest demonstration against the management in the Daramkund area of Doda district today, they said.

Another unit of the Baglihar project objected to it, resulting in clashes in which six workers were injured, two of them critically, they said, adding the police arrived at the scene and diffused the situation.

The police had been deployed on the scene and situation had been under control, they said. — PTI