Mehbooba leaves cabinet meeting midway

Police again: Second time in two years CM had to walk out after differences between PDP, BJP on Police related issues

ZAFAR CHOUDHARY

JAMMU: Unpleasant arguments are reported to have taken place in the meeting of state cabinet Friday afternoon prompting Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to leave the meet midway and rush home irritated and annoyed.

Sources said there was complete split between the Peoples Democratic Party and the Bhartiya Janta Party on the issue of cadre allocation and rationalisation of the state police services (Kashmir Police Service or KPS) almost on the analogy of state administrative service (Kashmir Administrative Services or KAS). This is the second time in last two years that the Chief Minister had to leave the cabinet meeting angrily. Incidentally, on both occasions the issue that triggered confrontation between PDP and BJP pertained to the J&K Police. The then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had also left the meeting midway in October last year when BJP Ministers put their feet down on transfers in Police. Since then the cabinet hasn’t been able to carry out a proper reshuffle in the state police.

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, whose objection to an agenda item reportedly triggered the argument, along with Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu rushed to Mehbooba’s official residence at Wazarat Road to cool her tempers. A little while later, Chief Secretary Brij Raj Sharma and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Bharat Bhushan Vyas, also reached the CM residence to get her approval for the items which had already been agreed to in the meeting till the time of breaking out of unpleasant argument.

Sources privy to the ‘high voltage drama’ told The News Now that everything began at pleasant note when the Cabinet Ministers gathered in the conference with Chief Minister Mehbooba in the chair. The agenda for the Cabinet discussions had been circulated Thursday evening and most of the issues were already in knowledge of the Ministers as they were in pipeline for a while.

As the Cabinet took up business with Chief Secretary Sharma reading out the agenda items one by one, the Ministers nodded in affirmations. There were some highly significant decisions like creation of a separate department for disaster management, relief and rehabilitation, enlarging the Science and Technology department’s mandate to take up mini hydro-electric projects. (Gist of all decisions is produced alongside) None of the issues warranted much discussion until the cadre rationalisation and allocation of the state police services came up. The BJP led by Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, sources said, objected at once.
The proposal, among other things, had recommended allowing the KPS officers to reach the position of Deputy Inspector General of Police even without being inducted in the Indian Police Service. It may be mentioned here that in case of KAS, the officers reach to the level of Additional Secretary to government even without being inducted in the IAS. The KPS officers, if not inducted in the IPS on time, stagnate at the position of SSP and retire from there.
The BJP, sources said, objected to this proposal. “When asked by the Chief Minister to offer reason, they said this issue needs clearance from the Centre”, said a source privy to the conversations. Another source said, “the BJP pointed out that their central leadership was not in favour of approving this proposal”. This had the Chief Minister infuriated. She is reported to have said, “when agenda is being tabled right now, how has the issue reached BJP central leadership…how could people, not members of the cabinet, rule decisions of our cabinet”. Several calls were made to get views of Deputy Chief Minister Singh but he was inaccessible.
Mehbooba is also reported to have said to BJP Ministers: “you don’t read the agenda in depth, you don’t discuss it with colleagues in cabinet. You just look at the heading of the subject and seek advice of your leaders in Delhi”. Name of a particular BJP leader is also reported to have cropped in the meeting but no member of the Cabinet could be reached for verification.
The KPS, it may be mentioned here, has over 70 percent officers from Jammu region, where the BJP has its entire base. No BJP leader was available to comment as why they opposed such an issue which the KPS officers have been agitating with all parties and all government for a long while.
It may be mentioned here that unlike 67:33 ration in rest of the country, Jammu and Kashmir has a special dispensation of 50:50 for the All India Services.

This has been possible in case of IAS:KAS but there is huge disparity in IPS:KPS. At present there are only 20 officers from the state services promoted to IPS as against 69 directly recruited.

Bukhari is Chairman BoPEE
The Cabinet approved appointment of Justice (retd) B L Bhat, former Judge of the J&K High Court as President of the J&K State Consumer Redressal Commission. The Cabinet also approved the appointment of retired IAS officer Mr Mohammad Ashraf Bukhari as Chairman of the Jammu & Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations.

Deptt created for disaster mgmt
Government has accorded sanction to the creation of an independent and separate department of ‘Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction’ (DMRRR). This was approved by the cabinet. Till date the business of Relief and Rehabilitation department was assigned to the Revenue department. However, based on the experiences of earthquake of 2005 and the devastating floods of September-2014, it was felt appropriate to have a separate department for Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation, considering the importance of timely , adequate and focused response to natural disasters.

S&T deptt to take up small HEPs
The Cabinet approved the recommendation of the Empowered Committee to enhance the mandate of the Science & Technology department to take up small Hydel Projects upto 10MW Capacity through the PPP mode. The Cabinet directed that PDD and the S&T departments shall suitably amend the current Hydro Development Policies being implemented by JAKEDA & JKSPDC to make the Policies investor friendly for attracting private investments in the development of the hydro sector in the state.

Codal provision for Mobilization Advances

To prevent misuse of government funds and loss to the state exchequer, the Cabinet has accorded sanction to the proposal of the Finance department to put in place Codal provisions for sanctioning Mobilization Advance in respect of government works. The step aims to plug loop holes on Mobilization Advance given to contractors and ensure its proper utilization.
Under these Codal provisions, unless a particular scheme of the State or the Centre Government provides for grant of mobilization, no such advance is to be granted to the contractor. Mobilization Advance shall not exceed 10% of the tendered value and restricted to works costing Rs 2 Cr or more. Recovery of Mobilization Advance shall be time based and not linked with progress of work. Mobilization Advance shall be released in two or more installments against Bank Guarantee from a Nationalized Bank.

New posts for HC, RD & PR Deptt

The Cabinet has accorded sanction to the creation of five (5) posts of Secretaries in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Out of the 5 posts created, two posts are of Secretaries in the Selection Grade of Rs 12,000-16500 (pre-revised) and three posts in the Special Scale of Rs 14300-18300 (pre-revised). Cabinet accorded sanction to the creation of 172 posts of Data Entry Operators in the pay band of Rs.5200-20200 + GP of 1900, by corresponding reduction of 172 positions of CIC Operators, who have been engaged up to the cut of date i.e. 28th April, 2010 and to whom the provisions of J&K, Civil Services (Special Provisions), Act, 2010 apply.

Land transferred for AIIMS, other institutions

The Cabinet has accorded sanction to the transfer of State Land measuring 1309 Kanals and 02 marlas situated at Village, Awantipora District Pulwama in favour of Health and Medical Education Department, for establishment of an AIIMS like institution. The Cabinet approved transfer of State Land measuring 89 Kanals situated at Village Thandapani, Tehsil Sunderbani, District Rajouri, in favour of the Higher Education Department for establishment of a Government Degree College at Sunderbani. The Cabinet also approved allotment of 80 Kanals of land at Industrial Growth Centre, Samba Phase III instead of Estate Ghatti, Kathua to the Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India for setting up of a Technology Centre/Tool Room, costing Rs.100 Crore on lease basis under the J&K, Land Grants Act, 1960 and rules framed there-under.

Timber sale rates revised

Revision in the sale rates of various coniferous species of Timber in A, B and C Concession zones for the year 2016-17 were also approved by the cabinet. The proposed rate has been enhanced by 20% in A zone, 25% in B and 30% in C zone areas. The Cabinet also approved revision in the sale rates of firewood in the state supplied for religious and institutional purposes.