SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a symbolic protest march in Srinagar on Tuesday against the “bulldozer policy” initiated by Jammu and Kashmir administration.
The protesters included PDP second-rung leaders and activists who marched from the PDP office near Municipal Park towards traffic headquarters and raised slogans against BJP and LG administration.
They were carrying placards which read slogans like ‘Kashmir for Kashmiris’, ‘Stop ruling Jammu and Kashmir like a colony’, ‘Landless, jobless, homeless,’ ‘Stop bulldozing our homes.’
PDP leader Mohit Bhan alleged that the BJP government has been dispossessing the people of Jammu and Kashmir from their land and homes. He alleged that demolition exercise was being carried out through the arbitrary use of bulldozers to invent homelessness in Jammu and Kashmir.
In Delhi, they alleged the illegal housing settlements are being regularized while in Jammu and Kashmir, the land from natives is being snatched.
The protester alleged BJP government is using police to suppress them. They sought a quick halt to the bulldozer policy.
(Photograph used in this news report is merely representational.)
JKSSB has been asked by the High Court to appoint 1446 paramedics after dismissing the petitions filed by those who have been working against these positions for many years.
KATHUA
Dilbagh Singh (IPS)
In an interesting revelation, the Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief, Dilbagh Singh said they have recovered a ‘perfume bomb’ from a school teacher turned militant. The recovery took place while investing in the twin Narwal blasts of January 21, 2023, and the outcome included solving four terror attacks—three on the outskirts of Jammu City and another at Katra. The teacher was identified as Mohammad Auraf Sheikh alias Arif, 32, son of Ghulamudin, a resident of village Pagihalla in the Baransal area of Gulabgarh(Reasi), who was posted at Government Middle School, Pagihalla(Mahore) but living at Peerbagh Colony at Sunjuwan in the rented accommodation of a Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) Inspector. He had been living in the cop’s accommodation between December 2021 and March 2022 and from December 1, 2022, to January 2023 and the cop had not informed the concerned. Hired as ReT in 2010, and his services were regularised in 2016.
DGP said Arif was in touch with Pakistan-basedLashkarcommander Mohammad Qasim, a resident of the village Angralla (Reasi) district, and was introduced by his maternal uncle Qamar Din of Baransal, Doda, who is settled in Karachi. His job was to collect drone-dropped IEDs and sticky bombs from the International Border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua. The teacher had burnt almost every single thing that could have proved as evidence against him but he was still caught. Police said he admitted that he planted two sticky bombs, each weighing 450 grams, beneath seat number 3 of the bus, above the petrol tank, on May 13, 2022, in which a few Vaishno Devi pilgrims were killed and mostly survived injured.
The government has allotted Rs 62 crore, to be spent over five years for the cultivation of Medicinal Aromatic Plants on 5000 kanals of land spread across 28 clusters, creating over 3000 jobs and 28 enterprises.
GULMARG
Two Polish skiers were washed away by a debilitating avalanche at Gulmarg’s Afarwat skiing slope when 21 skiers were taken by surprise. While the rescue patrol rescued 19 skiers and their two guides – Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh and Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, the bodies of Krzysctof, 43, and Adam Grzech45, were retrieved from under a mound of snow. With powdered snow, Gulmarg is the best destination for world-class skiing outside the Alps. The spot is crowded with skiers these days. This season, Kashmir witnessed its seven major avalanches. While four avalanches hit Gurez, two hit Sonamarg earlier. In one of the avalanches at Sonamarg, two labourers working on the Zojilla tunnel were killed. Incidentally, most of these avalanches were captured live. One mobile owner actually captured the last moments of one of the two ill-fated skiers. The last major avalanche in Gulmarg was on February 8, 2010, which killed 17 soldiers.
As per a study, around 6.5 per cent of women in Srinagar started experiencing domestic violence during Covid-19-induced lockdowns.
DODA
After mass migration from Uttrakhand’s Joshimath due to its feared sinking, a similar tragedy almost struck a village located on the banks of Chenab River, where 21 residential structures developed cracks in Thathri tehsil of Doda since December last year. More than 111 people from 21 homes declared unsafe were shifted away from the Nai Basti village. The administration is yet to know the cause of land erosion and a team from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has been rushed to the spot.
Jammu and Kashmir’s government inaugurated 94 sports infrastructure projects worth Rs 46 crore under CAPEX and JKIDFC
SRINAGAR
Against the backdrop of tracing a fake posting and appointment order, the School Education Department has ordered verification of the genuineness of the 2009 batch and other appointees of which orders have been issued by the government. The order came after a fraudster was found serving the department for more than 13 years by producing fake postings and appointment orders.
Jammu and Kashmir’s government is spending Rs 146 crore to promote niche crops as unique heritage.
SRINAGAR
Following a Delhi Court order, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) attached the Hurriyat office in Srinagar. In an order, Shaliender Malik, additional sessions judge, New Delhi district, had ordered the attachment under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act-1967. The court, however, had added that the attachment in itself does not mean that there is any pre-trial conclusion regarding that property. The Court further said that among the different allegations and evidence, it was also the case that the office of APHC was the place where meetings were held to strategize different protests, funding activities of stone pelting on security forces, recruiting of unemployed youths to carry out unlawful activities as well as terrorist activities to create unrest in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir to wage war against the Government of India.
57 schools and roads were recently renamed in memory of eminent persons and lain soldiers.
SRINAGAR
Nearly 656309 hectares of State and Khacharai land were retrieved during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in eight districts of Jammu and Kashmir. On January 9, the administration had asked the DCs to ensure that all encroachments on state land, including grazing land and that granted under the Roshni Act, are removed by January 31. The major chunk of 2,75,867 hectares of land was retrieved from encroachers in Rajouri, followed by 1,44,613 hectares in Reasi, 1,22,277 in Poonch, 47,552 hectares in Kishtwar, 33,000 Kanals in Bandipora, 15,000 in Kathua, 14,000 in Ganderbal and 4,000 in Kupwara districts so far. In line with the government’s assurances that big fishes are on target, 40 kanals of land were retrieved from a hotel in Srinagar that belongs to close relatives of former CM Farooq Abdullah. In Anantnag, the boundary wall of the residence of former minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayyed (Congress) at Dahmal Khoshipora was demolished. However, while many high profiles people were targeted, the Lal Chowk Srinagar’s Aftab market witnessed the sealing and then subsequent reopening of two dozen odd shops.
India’s 2023-24 budget has allocated Rs 35,581.44 crore to Jammu and Kashmir, mostly as central assistance. It is slightly lower in comparison to allocations of Rs 44,538.13 crore in the last budget.
JAMMU
Trilochan Singh Wazir
Delhi Police has arrested Sudershan Singh Wazir, Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Sikh United Front and his two associates Harjinder Singh Raina and Jagpal Singh for their alleged involvement in the murder of NC lawmaker and trader Tarlochan Singh Wazir on September 3, 2021. Sudarshan was summoned by police to Delhi and booked under Section 120-B IPC. The recent arrests in the case were based on the disclosures of Harpreet Singh, a prime accused in the murder.
NABARD estimates Jammu and Kashmir has credit potential worth Rs 34082 crore in the priority sector in 2023-24.
LADAKH
Engineer Sonam Wangchuk, Ladakh’s change-maker and the man on whose life the Bollywood blockbuster, 3 Idiots is based, was on a “symbolic carbon neutral climatic fast” (read hunger strike) for five days. His protest was for an extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh, full statehood and other demands already propounded by the region’s political leadership. His protest became global news as the Leh administration restricted him to his Himalayan Institutes of Alternative Ladakh (HIAL). Now the region’s leadership wants him to be part of the negotiations with Delhi. The Magsaysay Award winner’s statement shocked the government: “I didn’t think I would ever say this, but I am saying that we were better off with Jammu and Kashmir than today’s UT [Union Territory]. I would also tell that tomorrow’s UT would be better and golden.”
In the last three years, Budgam district witnessed the seizure of 1120 vehicles for “illegal missing” and they were fined to the tune of Rs 17,357,156.
BIHAR
Last week, social media was dominated by a young Kashmir lady who had converted to Hinduism for marrying Lalu Singh, a resident of Begusarai, Bihar. She emerged on the social media scene after her in-laws refused to adopt her and wanted her to go back home. She had fled home twice and was sent back by her in-laws but this time she refused and went public. Later, a possible police intervention helped her reunite with her husband.
Against a loan of Rs 400 crore to various power projects owned by Adani group, almost Rs 255 crore is still unpaid.
DELHI
In his Mann Ji Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said to many Kashmier winter pictures look like a fairy tale. “During winters, people also enjoyed snowfall in the mountains. Some pictures came in from Jammu and Kashmir which captivate hearts in the entire country,” Modi said. “People are saying that picture of a beautiful snowfall, white sheet like snow all around looks like a fairy tale. They comment that these pictures are not of any foreign nation but that of Kashmir in our own country.” Then he became a Kashmir brand ambassador: “Seeing these pictures, you too must be thinking of going on a trip to Kashmir. I would like you to go there yourself and also take your friends along. Besides snow-capped mountains along with natural beauty, there are many more things to see and know in Kashmir.” Then, he moved to snow cricket and termed it an “exciting game”. He added; “Winter Games were organized in Syedabad, Kashmir. Kashmiri youth make cricket even more amazing in the snow. Through this, there is also a search for young players in Kashmir, who will later play as Team India. In a way, this is also an extension of the Khelo India Movement.”
In the last 20 years, Kashmir recorded 2357 Asiatic black bear attacks on humans till 2020.
SRINAGAR
Kashmir’s handicraft basket will now have a Quick Response (QR) code alongside the GI labelling. The initiative aimed at fair trade practice is taking place at a time when the handicraft sector is exhibiting a strong revival with exports in the last nine months crossing Rs 729 crore, for the first time after 2019. Now, 13 Kashmir crafts including six handicrafts already having GI will have distinct QR codes. These include Kashmir Pashmina, Kashmir Sozni, Kani Shawl, Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving, Kashmir Papier Machie and Khatamband. In the case of Kashmir Pashmina’s GI labelling has been redeveloped and has been integrated with the QR-Code certification module.
From 23 procurement spots, the agriculture department has purchased 33600 tons of paddy from 6,549 farmers in Jammu and Kashmir for Rs 68.88 crore.
JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Saturday flagged off a batch of nine undergraduate students from SKUAST-Jammu on an exposure-cum-training programme to Kansas State University, USA.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that the 60-day long capacity-building fellowship would expose the students to global learning ecosystem and industry establishment.
The LG interacted with the students and congratulated them upon their selection to the fellowship.
The students would be visiting the Kansas State University under the Student Overseas Fellowship Programme of National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) funded by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and World Bank.
The group includes undergraduate students of Faculty of Agriculture, School of Biotechnology and Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry from the Agriculture University.
Vice Chancellor SKUAST Jammu Prof Nazir A Ganai and other associated faculty members were also present at Raj Bhavan.
JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated Civil Services Officers Institute (CSOI) at Jammu.
Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor said the institute will promote welfare of officers, their families and bring them together to build close cooperation & interaction to reinforce our democratic values & to meet the challenges of nation building.
“CSOIs in other states & at the Centre are playing important role as a nursery of ideas since many years. I am confident CSOI in J&K will render yeoman service to UT with systematic and continuous improvement in governance through seminars & debates on civil administration,”observed the Lt Governor.
Speaking on the ongoing anti-encroachment drive across the UT, the Lt Governor said some people tried to spread misinformation that common man will be impacted in the anti-encroachment drive.
“I want to assure the people that Administration will safeguard the habitations and livelihoods of common man. Only influential and powerful people who misused their position and violated the law to encroach upon the State land would face the law of the land,” said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor reiterated that only those people who have grabbed land illegally through unfair means are facing the eviction.
“I have personally directed the DCs and SSPs to closely monitor and ensure no innocent person is affected in any manner during anti-encroachment drive,” said the Lt Governor.
Deputy Commissioners should have the knowledge of the activity of next day and media should be made aware about the names behind the encroachment of land so that the common man will get to know the truth, the Lt Governor further said.
Speaking on the role of the Civil Services Officers Institute, the Lt Governor further observed that it will work as a bridge between different fields of Civil Administration and officers will get the opportunity to learn a lot from each other’s experiences.
CSOI will strengthen the ethos of Good Governance and will evolve into a center for meaningful discussion on economic growth and social change, he added.
The expectations of the people have increased and I have full faith that we all will work with dedication to meet their expectations and tackle the challenges of the future, added the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor noted that in today’s inter-connected world, new skills of public administration and uninterrupted dialogue between common man and officers are required for smooth functioning of Civil Administration.
The Lt Governor said the success of Back to Village and My Town My Pride is testimony to our commitment of people-centric governance. The successful conduct of the two Jan-Abhiyan is the best example towards social welfare and inclusive development, he added
“I can proudly say that we have been able to establish the most transparent and active administrative system in Jammu Kashmir. The feedback received on RAS proves that the public service delivery has won the trust of the common man,” said the Lt Governor.
Highlighting the initiatives of e-Governance, the Lt Governor said more than 400 services have been made online. Remaining should also be made online soon in its true sense. The Public Services Commission has created a new milestone and declared the result in just three hours after the verification of the last candidate, he added.
Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta informed that the two CSOIs to be established in J&K.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lt Governor; Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary; Former Chief Secretaries, Retd DGP, Senior officers, HODs were present on the occasion.
Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha addressed the Republic Day gathering in Jammu in 2023.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said that every drop of blood and tears that were shed in Jammu and Kashmir due to the killings of innocents at the behest of the “neighbouring” country will be avenged. Highlighting the interventions aimed at getting Jammu and Kashmir back on the rails of peace and progress, Sinha said there are sustained efforts of the security grid to eradicate militancy. “I want to tell those involved in the barbaric killings of innocents at the behest of the neighbouring country that we will avenge every drop of blood and tears”, Sinha said. “Today, I bow to the brave soldiers of Jammu and Kashmir police, army and central security forces, who displayed unmatched heroism and the spirit of sacrifice in defending the motherland.” In 2022, the security grid killed 180 militants as the year witnessed a 55 per cent fall in civilian killings and a 58 per cent reduction in the killing of security forces. He said the security grid has been strengthened.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have constituted a 20-member Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) that will be headed by an SSP rank officer and will have six DySPs, six inspectors, six head constables and a follower.
POONCH
Army imparting training to Village Defence Committee (VDC) members on weapon handling, cleaning, musketry, firing and weapon maintenance drills at Mendhar (Poonch). Pic: PRO defence Jammu
In the first post-reorganisation of VDC, a young housewife in Surankote was killed by her husband when the latter was playing with the rifle of a VDC member, a relative. Police arrested the man, seized the weapon and are investigating if it was an accident or a deliberate one. The deceased was identified as Rubina Kouser, 30. Her husband, now in detention for the killing, was identified as Nassar Ahmad son of Nazir Hussain of Upper Murrah in Surankote. The rifle belonged to a VDC member. Meanwhile, the High Court has declined to stay the government order of August 14, 2022, that accorded sanction to the creation of the Village Defence Guards Scheme (VDGS) 2022. The court of Justice Rahul Bharti was hearing a plea filed by 619 Village Defence Guards (VDGs) and Special Police Officers (SPOs) seeking direction to the Government not to change the status of VDC SPOs. The 2022 order superseded September 30, 1995, which created the extra-constitutional VDC network.
2022 witnessed 1.8 crore tourist arrivals in Jammu and Kashmir including pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi shrine.
CHENNAI
Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha attends Vitasta Festival at Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai on January 28, 2023. Image DIPR
Ministry of Culture is organising a festival Vitasta – the ever-flowing legacy of Kashmir in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Jammu and Kashmir. The first edition of the festival will be held from January 27 to 30, at Kalakshetra, and on January 29, at Dakshina Chitra. It will have a choreographed dance presentation of the Kashmiri folk dance forms, a folk symphony with Kashmiri folk musical instruments, a unique presentation of two folk theatre forms – Bhand Pather of Kashmir and Therukoothu of Tamil Nadu, a recital by Santoor player music composer and conductor, Abhay Rustum Sopori, Kashmiri Sufi Band by Aabha Hanjura, Kashmiri cuisine fair, crafts fair with the handicrafts, needlework and weaves of Kashmir, workshops on pashmina wool weaving and papier mâché, seminars related to the Vitasta river and Kashmir including the impact of Buddhism and Shaivism, art camp for artists, an art competition for schoolchildren, a play, photography exhibition, Sharada Stotram by the students of Kalakshetra, a production on national integration based on a literary work by Subramania Bharathi by the students of Kalakshetra, and villu pattu on Vitasta.
32000 students from across India study in Jammu and Kashmir, according to Home Minister Amit Shah.
LADAKH
LAB, KDA hold protest in Jammu on Sunday, January 16, 2022
China is reported to have blocked access to the Indian Army at 26 patrolling points along the Line of Actual Control (LoAC) in eastern Ladakh, resulting in the denial to use huge swatches of grazing land to the local herdsmen. A Leh Police reports suggest that there are a total of 65 PPs (patrolling points) starting from Karakoram Pass to Chumur which were routinely being patrolled by the army. These points were openings towards high-altitude meadows as well. The access has been denied by the Chinese Army under the land grabbing inch by inch, which is called salami slicing, the report authored by OPS officer PD Nitya has said. The officer submitted its report to the just concluded annual conference of DGPs and IGPs held in Delhi. “Out of 65 PPs, our presence is lost in 26 PPs (i.e. PP no. 5-17, 24-32, 37), due to restrictive or no patrolling by the security forces,” the paper added. Though the government has not formally reacted to the findings, informal sources have denied the status quo. The anonymous said the herders have been restricted by the army itself.
Meanwhile, in an unlinked development, reports suggest that the MHA will resume talks with the protesting political leadership of the region seeking assurance for full statehood, and protection of the region’s identity under the Sixth Schedule and jobs. Region’s leaders have boycotted a High Power Committee that MHA constituted and protested in Ladakh and then in Jammu. Now, the regional leaders have written a joint letter to Amit Shah suggesting that to begin with, dialogue should be initiated with two representatives each of LAB and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) with the provision of wider participation as it makes headway.
Jammu and Kashmir Bank netted Rs 311.59 crore profit in Q3, ending December 2022, taking the 9-month profit to Rs 721.05 crore in fiscal 2022.
SRINAGAR
Co-founders of a logistics company, FastBeetle, Abid Rashid (L) and Sheikh Samiullah (R). They got an institutional investment of 100 thousand dollars after their less than 2-year start-up was evaluated as worth a million-dollar company.
Srinagar-based e-commerce start-up, Fast Beetle succeeded in raising Rs 90 lakh by diluting its shareholding by 7.5 per cent to two shark investors, Piyush Bhansal and Aman Gupta. The development took place at the business reality show, Shark Tank India. Investors were impressed by the story of start-up promoters Sheikh Samiullah and Abid Rashid, who in 2019 started a logistics company that delivers parcels to buyers. This is the second time that the company succeeded in raising money from the highly competitive open market. In 2021, they had raised almost one crier from a group of venture capital investors. Now the two co-founders retain 76 per cent of their company’s equity.
Jammu and Kashmir’s government has launched an Rs 879.75-crore Food Processing Programme for the Development of Clusters for Specific Products to maximise farmer income and minimise post-harvest losses.
DELHI
Kashmir’s last Santoor maker Ghulam Mohammad Zaz was among three eminent persons from erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir who were awarded Padma Shri this year. Others are litterateur Mohan Singh (Jammu) and Ladakh’s religious personality Kushok Thisksey Nawang Chamba Stanzin. Zaz is the eighth-generation Santoor maker and lives in Srinagar’s Zaina Kadal. “The legacy will end with me,” he regrets. Santoor is a trapezoid-shaped instrument with 87 strings and 28 bridges. Traditional Kashmiri Santoor, however, has 100 strings. For use in Indian Classical Music, the number of strings is reduced. Zaz is survived by his wife and three daughters. Normally the instrument made with almond wood is considered better.
URI
JK LG Manoj Sinha with the family of Mudasir A Sheikh, an SPO, who was killed in an encounter in Kreeri on May 25. Sinha visited the family in Uri on May 28, 2022.
Mudasir Ahmad, 32, a Jammu and Kashmir Policeman who was slain in a counterinsurgency operation was awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously. He was killed in an encounter in Najibhat Kreeri (Baramulla) on May 25, 2022. Three foreign militants were also killed in the encounter that was mounted by police, the army and CRPF. On October 5, 2022, Home Minister Amit Shah visited Sheikh’s family and paid respects at his grave barefoot. He has worked undercover earlier, reports in the media suggest. Mudasir is survived by his father Maqsood Sheikh, a retired sub-inspector, mother Shameema Begum, two sisters, and three brothers. Sheikh was hired as SPO after his father’s retirement and on basis of his extraordinary services with SOG, he was formally adjusted into police. He was a daredevil police official.
SRINAGAR
After formally and informally identifying the encroachment on the state land basket, the authorities have started demolitions in certain cases, In a high-voltage operation, the Budgam district administration demolished the outer wall of National Conference (NC) leader Ali Muhammad Sagar’s security detail near his Humhama house. The government had raised a plank suggesting the piece of land had been encroached upon by the politician. Officials said they demolished the outer wall, the main gate and the entry of the guardroom. Official records said the Saleema, wife of Sagar is the owner of land measuring 3 kanal 18 marlas. However, the family had allegedly encroached upon 2 kanals of state land on which a building had been raised.
DODA
Mubeen Fatima was a mother when she enrolled for MSc Botany and soon she fell apart from her husband. She is now a JKAS officer.
Marriage, after all, is a social contract with a lot of emotional, moral, ethical and economic equity. Sometimes it does not succeed. Instead of staying in a bad relationship, it is better to move out formally and rediscover life. That is what Mubeen Fatima did. Daughter of Abdul Sattar of Upper Thathar, Bantalab, the mother of a young daughter, put in her efforts and made it to Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS), with a rank of 154. She graduated in 2018 and was a mother in the same year. As she joined for her masters in Botanay, she was divorced by her husband – conveyed the same digitally. She was declared MSc Botany in 2020 and soon she started preparing for JKAS. On the first attempt, she made it.
ZEWAN
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha with Kashmiri Pandits after he laid foundation stone of Transit Accommodation for PM Package Employees at Zewan on Friday January 20, 2022
The Zewan locality on the borders of the Srinagar and Pulwama districts will have a series of towers that will house a Kashmiri Pandit township. LG Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone last week for 936 flats. These are for the employees who will be posted in Kashmir. In comparison, it is a better-secured locality. LG said by December 2023, 1200 flats will be ready for the Pandit employees who were appointed under a special package of the Prime Minister.
JAMMU
Kanak Mandi Jammu.
Finally, the government has decided to collect Property Tax in Jammu and Kashmir and it will start with commercial establishments. Officials said collection of this tax is linked to the devolution of various grants to Jammu and Kashmir. Slabs for the imposition of the tax are reportedly being worked out. For the time being, it will not be collected from residential establishments.
SRINAGAR
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on one of his initial visits to SKIMS after the institute started functioning. Sheikh was the Chief Minister.
A young SKIMS doctor survived an electric shock while performing on a cardiac patient in the operation theatre. Reports suggest that when he started the procedure, he got an electric shock, following which he collapsed on the ground and was admitted. He has suffered injuries on his hand and fingers. After the shocking incident, SKIMS management started an audit at key spots in the hospital.
SRINAGAR: For “effective utilization of manpower”, the Jammu and Kashmir government has made public the policy for inter-departmental deputation of employees, which will be based on their technical and professional qualifications. The guidelines were issued by GAD on basis of the Administrative Council Decision taken on January 1, 2023.
The Kashmir PHE Joint Employees Association Union Tuesday staged a protest here demanding release of their pending wages and and blamed the Chief Engineer of suppressing their genuine demands. KL Image by Bilal Bahadur
The policy will cover all employees in Jammu and Kashmir except all India services, JKAS, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Jammu and Kashmir Accounts Gazetted Service and Jammu and Kashmir Forest Gazetted Service. Under the policy, departments requiring the services of particular employees on basis of their expertise will have to follow a formal process, which has been detailed in the order.
The Policy
Here is the policy that will govern the inter-departmental deputations:
“This policy shall govern the deputation of employees possessing higher educational/technical qualifications outside their parent departments where their specific skill-sets/qualifications can be put to better use, consistent with the requirements of the borrowing departments.
Objective
Developmental Departments like the Public Works (R&B) Department, Agriculture Production Department, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Housing and Urban Development Department, Information Technology Department etc., are facing a dearth of technically and professionally qualified employees. There is a large pool of skilled employees in the Government, whose services are currently being under-utilized. Skill mapping and optimum utilization of the mapped skills are among the fundamental tools for good governance. In order to ensure efficient utilization of human resources, and with a view to match demand and supply for improving efficiency in governance, a need has been felt to utilize the services of these qualified (technical/professional) employees effectively. This shall address the skill gaps in various technical/developmental departments and provide employees with an opportunity to put their specific skill sets to the best possible use.
Manoj Sinha
Exceptions
The following services shall not be covered under this policy:
All India Services.
Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service.
Jammu and Kashmir Police Service.
Jammu and Kashmir Accounts Gazetted Service.
Jammu and Kashmir Forest Gazetted Service.
Procedure for utilization of services in other departments
The initiation for the process of utilization of services of qualified (technical/professional) employee(s) shall be at the level of the department that intends to utilize the services of an employee with such qualifications as may be suitable for the better functioning of the department, or at the level of the employee (technically/professionally qualified) who is desirous of providing his/her services in such a department where his/her higher qualification/skill-sets may be better utilized.
An employee desirous of offering his/her technical/professional services to another department may visit a designated window, which shall be made available on the e-HRMS portal, through his/her CPIS ID and submit a form prescribed for the purpose, along with copies of the relevant certificates/degrees/diplomas. The employee shall also provide reasonable justification as to how his/her services shall be better utilized in the department where he/she intends to provide his/her services.
Alternately, the department that intends to utilize the services of a (technically/professionally qualified) employee may submit an application in the format prescribed for the purpose, along with the details of such employee(s) whose services they intend to utilize, to the Screening Committee headed by the Administrative Secretary, General Administration Department.
General Administration Department shall seek the comments of the parent department of the employee in all cases.
The above application(s)/cases shall be accompanied with the following documents:-
(i) Requisition by the borrowing department as per the prescribed format (Annexure-B).
(ii) Application form to be submitted by the candidate on the e-HRMS portal.
(iii) Copy of the first two pages of the service book of the employee.
(iv) Copy of the relevant recruitment rules/guidelines.
(v) Comments of the Administrative Secretary of the employee where he/she is presently employed or where his services are to be utilized.
(vi) Statement showing length of service rendered earlier by the employee.
(vii) Status of employment (substantive/on probation/temporary)
(viii) Latest vigilance clearance/work and conduct of employee.
(ix) Affidavit from the employee to the effect that he/she shall not claim extension in the tenure of deputation beyond the sanctioned term, and that the employee shall not claim any preferential right in matters of promotion, perks, salary/emoluments etc. in the borrowing department.
Screening Committee
For the purpose of this policy, a Screening Committee comprising the following shall be constituted, which shall scrutinize all the applications for the utilization of services of qualified (technical/professional) employees received from the different departments:
Administrative Secretary, General Administration Department (Chairman).
Representative of Planning, Development and Monitoring Department (Not below the rank of Additional Secretary) (Member).
Representative of Finance Department (Not below the rank of Additional Secretary) (Member).
Representative of the Parent/Lending Department (Not below the rank of Additional Secretary) (Member).
Representative of the Department where the services of the employee is to be utilized (Not below the rank of Additional Secretary) (Member).
The above committee shall be serviced by General Administration Department.
The above Screening Committee shall examine each case and submit its recommendations to the General Administration Department, which shall place the same before the Competent Authority for consideration/approval.
Period for utilization of services
The services of an employee will be initially utilized on deputation for a period of one year from the date the incumbent employee is relieved from the parent department. The period of utilization of services may be extended, provided both the parent department and the borrowing department mutually agree upon the extension. The decision of the Screening Committee shall be final and binding in the matter relating to extension in the deputation. Such extension shall be for a maximum period of one year at a time, but the maximum term of deputation shall not, under any circumstances, exceed four years.
If the department expresses intent to retain an official beyond the prescribed tenure, it shall initiate a proposal for seeking concurrence of the parent department three months before the date of expiry of the tenure. In no case shall the borrowing department retain an official beyond the sanctioned term, unless prior approval of the Competent Authority to grant further extension has been obtained on the recommendation of the Screening Committee after concurrence of the Finance Department.
Incentives for opting for deputation
Employees who qualify for and provide their services on deputation shall be granted incentives in the form of age relaxation and additional weightage in recruitment against higher posts by the Government recruiting agencies. Proposals for consequential changes in the recruitment rules shall be forwarded by all Administrative Departments to the Standing Committee constituted vide Government Order No. 1223-3K(GAD) of 2021 dated 17/11/2021.
Borrowing departments shall also provide opportunities to such employees for further refinement of their existing skill sets in their areas of expertise/specialization in the form of capacity building through the organization of workshops, learning opportunities, training, etc.
Pay and conditions of service in the borrowing department
The employee whose services are utilized in another department shall retain his/her lien and promotion prospects in his/her parent department.
All matters governing the employee’s service shall be dealt with by the parent department(s) in terms of the rules as are presently applicable to him/her.
Disciplinary matters shall be dealt with by the parent department in consultation with the employee’s borrowing department, in case the disciplinary offence relates to his/her stint in the borrowing department.
The employee shall continue to draw salary from his/her parent department after obtaining the attendance from the department where his/her services are being utilized.
During the period of utilization of services, the employee shall continue to be governed by the same pay scale which would have been applicable to him/her had he/she continued to work in the parent department.
The employees who qualify for and are deputed under this policy shall not claim for any preferential treatment in the borrowing department in matters of salary, allowances, perks etc.
The employees who qualify for and are deputed under this policy shall not claim for absorption in the borrowing department.
A person in a higher scale of pay/level in pay matrix shall not be appointed on deputation to a post in lower scale of pay/level in the pay matrix.
The designation and post of the employee shall remain unchanged in the new department.
The deputation of any employee shall not affect the sanctioned strength of the posts within the borrowing department and the deputed employee shall work only as supplementary/additional human resource for the borrowing department.
The APRs/work and conduct of the employee shall be initiated, reviewed and accepted by the department where his services are being utilized and same shall be forwarded annually to the parent department of the employee(s).
All conditions of service, as provided in the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations, 1956, Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956 with such adaptations, modifications and additions as have been rendered necessary by amendments issued from time to time, and other rules as exist or shall come into existence in the future shall apply mutatis mutandis to the employees deputed under this policy.”
SRINAGAR: The Government on Friday ordered the constitution of ‘Revamped Union Territory Forest Development Agency, UT Level Executive Committee, UT Steering Committee and District Steering Committee(s) for effective planning, implementation and monitoring of the National Mission for Green India (GIM) in the Jammu and Kashmir.
The Revamped UT Forest Development Agency will be headed by Lieutenant Governor and members include Chief Secretary, J&K , Administrative Secretary, Department of Forests, Ecology and Environment , Principal Chief Conservator of Forests , Chief Wildlife Warden , Nodal Officer (Forest Conservation) , Chairman, Executive Committee, all FDAs (CFs), Member Secretary, Executive Committee, all FDAs (Hq DFOs (T)), Nodal officer (State CAMPA), Representative of three “eminent” NGOs of the UT— Representative of WWF- India Nazir be Nazir, National Society for protection of Water Resources, Wetlands & Forests (NGO) and Nadeem Qadri, Wildlife Conservation Fund, (NGO)— as well Nodal Officer, GIM, Chief Conservator of Forests, (Planning & Projects).
Its terms of reference among others include to provide for overall guidance for the Mission in achieving Mission goals and objectives, according to a government order, a copy of which lies with news agency GNS. It has been also tasked to oversee implementation of the board policy framework in achieving Mission goals and objectives. “The committee shall meet at least once a year.”
Union territory Level Executive Committee shall be 12-member and will be headed by administrative Secretary, Department of Forests, Ecology and Environment, as per the order.
Its terms and conditions include preparation of UT APO and its submission to UT Screening Committee for finalization; Technical approval of District level APOs; Preparation of the annual reports of the UT GIM; Ensuring programmatic convergence at the L1 landscape level and Providing technical guidance for implementation of GIM The committee shall meet at a frequency to be decided by the UT Government but at least twice in a year.
The UT Steering Committee comprises 14 members and would be headed by Chief Secretary. The District Steering Committee, comprising eights members and headed by respective District Magistrate.
Jammu and Kashmir has one of the highest unemployment ratios in India. To overcome joblessness, the government initiated job fairs and invited a lot of companies to hire the unemployed. In 23 fairs, 9743 unemployed youth offered their services to 205 participating companies but only 623 got jobs, reports Fahd Khan
Jobless: A huge crowd of boys and girl job-seekers in a job fair in Srinagar’s mini-indoor stadium in late 2022. KL Image: Hilal Shah
Amid an all-time high unemployment rate and joblessness, Jammu and Kashmir government’s much-hyped job fairs have provided jobs to around six per cent of the participants in 2022 in Kashmir. Lack of technical and communication skills was termed to be the key deficits preventing them from getting hired.
The observation of skill deficit raises doubts about the working of the skilling system, which is apparently a top governance priority.
Background
The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) had highlighted the skyrocketing of the unemployment crisis in the past few years. Till mid-January 2023, it stood at 14.8 per cent, which is the sixth highest in the country. Though the survey outcomes had its own factors including Covid19, it generated a lot of debate over the state of joblessness.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Department of District Employment and Counselling Centres in collaboration with some non-governmental organizations hosted a number of job fairs across Kashmir’s 10 districts. It brought potential human resources face-to-face with potential employers from the private sector.
Officials who arranged these events revealed a total of 9743 unemployed youth participated in 23 job fairs that were organized across 10 Kashmir districts in 2022. Of them, only 623 were provided with on-spot placements. Officials said a total of 205 local and national companies participated in these recruitment rallies.
Srinagar hosted two major events and 2900 youth participated along with 67 local and national companies. Eventually, 25 candidates got on-spot placements, officials said.
In the Pulwama district, one job fair was held that attracted the participation of 213 candidates. At the end of it, nobody got a job order.
In Budgam, two fairs were organised in which 381 youth participated, of whom only 20 got placements. A total of 13 local and national companies participated in the event.
In Ganderbal, only one event was organised in which nine youths out of 900 got on-spot placements. Eleven companies participated in the event.
Anantnag hosted two fairs in which 28 youths got placed among 1211 who participated.
In the adjoining Kulgam district, nine job fairs – the highest among all the districts – were conducted in only 474 got placements among the 3117 youth who had participated. A total of 31 local and national companies participated in the event.
In the Shopian district, two job fairs got 13 people recruited among the 450 youth who had participated.
In Baramulla and Bandipore districts, two job fairs each were organised in which 52 youth from the former district got placed out of 325 total participants while just two received placements in the latter district out of a total of 246 participants.
No job fairs, however, was organised in Kupwara.
As many as 211 youths were recommended for skilling and as many as 3928 on-spot registrations were made on the state employment portal.
Rozgar Mela’s
Apart from these Job Fairs that the Department of District Development and Counselling organised, many similar Job Fairs were organized by non-governmental organizations in view of the surge in the unemployment rate.
In one of such event that the Goodwill Non-governmental organization hosted at Indore Stadium Srinagar, more than 20 MNC’s including local companies participated.
Thousands of youths across Kashmir had thronged the venue to get themselves enrolled in the mega recruitment drives that were being organized both by the government and the NGOs. Some of the companies that participated in the event included SBI Life, HDFC, Jio Care, Tata Motors, Peaks Auto, Kashmir Motors, Himalayan Motors, Shuhul Motors, Ashoka Leyland, LIC, Wishfin, KY Motors, Exide NEO and Fair Deal Motors. Many people even got recruited by US-based companies and are working from home right now.
Problems
Government claims notwithstanding, all these job-linked events provided jobs to only six per cent of the total participants. Many youths who had participated in these fairs alleged that despite aspirants possessing higher qualifications and skills, they were not recruited as the companies didn’t have enough vacancies. As per the participating youth, the low salary was also one of the reasons for them not taking up jobs for which they had to move out of Jammu and Kashmir.
Skill proved to be a major setback for the participating youth not getting jobs in the mega recruitment drives. Many youths claimed that despite coming from far-flung areas with the hope of getting jobs, they were offered loans by participating insurance and banking companies.
In a video on social media, a girl who had participated in an event is heard saying: “With a master’s degree and four diplomas, I had very little hope of getting a job in this event. What more qualifications should I possess to get a job? Even we can’t start our own business as banks provide loans against property only or they charge huge interest rates. Even some companies seek experience for jobs. How come an unemployed youth is experienced when he is never provided with a job? Even we don’t have such an exposure here in Kashmir, where we are trained at the grassroots level to start our own businesses”.
“Many of the jobs being provided in these events are routine basic jobs, “one insider said, talking in anonymity. “Jobs being offered are an insurance agent or marketing persons which one can easily get without participating in these events. There were many schemes like this earlier as well.”
The average salaries fixed during the job fairs were Rs 10000. Whether those who got jobs are satisfied and continuing it is the question to be asked.
Officials Speak
“Most of the companies recruit candidates based on their skills only but the majority of the people who had participated couldn’t meet the required criteria set by these companies,” a senior official in the Directorate of Employment said: “To keep up the pace in today’s world and to get hired by companies, one should possess both communication and technical skills which our youth mostly lack.”
The officer said they were shocked to see that in one of the recruitment drives at the University of Kashmir, only one could make it up to the interview. “The reason being the communication barrier,” an official at the District Employment and Counselling Centre said.
“We mostly deal with the sale and services of automobiles, most of the students were either overqualified or under-qualified for the Jobs we were providing,” one of the recruiting executives in a local automobile concern, who participated in these fairs, said. “For sales, we particularly needed people having good communication skills and those having experience in the service sector. We too aren’t a big company and have already been under a financial crunch since Covid19 and another crisis. Still, we hired around four to five students and they are currently working in our company under probation. Skill was the main reason that we couldn’t provide jobs to the people”.
Developments
It is pertinent to mention that the government has included numerous skill-based courses like IT, management, and tourism at the college level in the past few years, which seems to have a questionable outcome. The government is also imparting job-oriented skill-based courses through polytechnics, hotel management institutes and NIELIT.
“To impart skills to our youth many candidates who had participated in these job fairs were registered for the skill courses being organised by the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS),” an officer at the Directorate of Employment said.
There are many government schemes aimed at up-skilling youth. Himayat was a major flagship scheme under this category under which the youth were trained and later deployed in the market. NIELIT also provided many IT-related courses.
Another scheme was launched by the government in Public Private Partnership mode. It was aimed at improving the quality of the vocational training in the Country and making it demand-driven, so as to ensure better employability of the pass-outs. It covered 32 ITIs in Jammu and Kashmir. Other courses that were launched for the general public also included Sewing, Henna Art, cookery etc.
It seems as if the candidates are yet to be adequately trained or are lacking the actual skill that the employers require.
JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has extended his greetings and felicitations to the people on the occasion of 74th Republic Day.
In a message, the Lt Governor said: “I extend warm greetings to all. I convey my special greetings to members of Jammu Kashmir Police, Armed Forces, CAPFs and emergency responders. I also wish and congratulate all our sportspersons who have participated and won laurels for Jammu Kashmir”.
On this day in 1950, by adopting the values and ideals enshrined in the Constitution, the architects of our country had embarked on a journey to create a society based on justice, brotherhood and equality. This seven-decade-long developmental journey is a living example of our inclusive ideology, national unity, hard work and dynamism, added the Lt Governor.
We pay tribute to the farmers, scientists, engineers, doctors, nurses, teachers, tribals, litterateurs, artists, businessmen, workers, youth and women who have infused new energy into Jammu Kashmir and ensured inclusive and sustainable development, the Lt Governor said.
The Lt Governor also paid homage to the founding fathers and the freedom fighters who made supreme sacrifice for the unity and integrity of our Country.
Following a Delhi Court order, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) attached the Hurriyat office in Srinagar. In an order, Shaliender Malik, additional sessions judge, New Delhi district, had ordered the attachment under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act-1967. The court, however, had added that the attachment in itself does not mean that there is any pre-trial conclusion regarding that property. The Court further said that among the different allegations and evidence, it was also the case that the office of APHC was the place where meetings were held to strategize different protests, funding activities of stone pelting on security forces, recruiting of unemployed youths to carry out unlawful activities as well as terrorist activities to create unrest in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir to wage war against the Government of India.
