Srinagar: In a major setback to the in-service Assistant Directors (AD’s), the government has curtailed 27 posts of deputy directors (DDs) in Planning and Development department. The AD’s were waiting for promotions as Deputy Directors for the past ten years.

Official sources said the ADs who are working in the planning department for past over 10 years now were sure to get inducted in the next grade and their promotion to the post of DDs can happen anytime now.

However, instead of going for promotion, the government during a cadre review meeting for J&K Economics and Statistics (Gazetted) Services (JKESS) last month has reduced the number of the DD posts from 142 to 115.

“As an interim measure, pending comprehensive cadre review, the committee proposes a restructuring of the posts at the various levels while also keeping the overall cadre strength at the same level,” read the minutes of cadre review meeting held by Chief Secretary BB Vyas.

The government has proposed to increase the posts of Director General from one to six, the post of Director from seven to 18 and Joint Directors from 31 to 42.

However, the aggrieved ADs said that the government has “deliberately blocked” their promotion avenues.

“Government could have changed the strength of the posts at other levels to bring some uniformity and semblance in the cadre. The move is discriminatory and violation of rights of officers at a particular post,” said an aggrieved AD.

However, the cadre review committee noted that there is stagnation particularly at the top level more so when compared to other comparable services.

Officers in the cadre review meeting, which was held earlier in 2008, said the role of the department is undergoing diametric changes both at the Union as well as at the State level.

The estimated annual financial implication for the proposed changes in the cadre strength of the JKESS would put a burden of Rs.112.86 lakh on the state exchequer.

“The proposal of five additional posts at the DG level is interim and being proposed also keeping in view the on-going large scale Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) and other large-scale special projects,” read the minutes of the meeting.

The proposed changes will be later on subsumed or modified in the recommendations as the outcome of the comprehensive cadre review, it said.

Commissioner Secretary Planning and Development Department, Rohit Kansal didn’t respond to calls after repeated attempts.

Guest