Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Additional General Secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday expressed concern over the absence of local officers from the bureaucratic setup of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kamal, who met a number of public and workers delegations here at the party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha, said, “Disbanding of the All India services J&K cadre and the successive measures undertaken by GOI vis-à-vis J&K have resulted in a decrease of local officers from the corridors of power, giving a ditch to all democratic norms and the relation between J&K and New Delhi, which was contingent on a constitution that recognized the unique political identity of J&K.”
“Previously only 50 percent of its All India service officers were direct recruits chosen through UPSC exams, the other half came from Kashmir Administrative services officers who were promoted into All India services. After J&K lost its status unconstitutionally, and undemocratically, the ratio of locals in the bureaucracy has reduced to 33 percent. Both the state and the central government in previous decades have strived to maintain the balance. However, the present government has chosen not to be sensitive to the issues of JK, pushing the locals to the wall. The measure has affected the development activities as well. It is very imperative for the GOI to make amends to this rule and ensure 70 percent of all India service officers in JK are locals. The measure will give a sense of entitlement to locals,” he said.
“Bureaucratic setup is not designed to listen to people. It is a democratically elected government that does,” Kamal said adding, “In this scenario, it is our grassroots level workers, who have become the voice of voiceless and hapless people. It is the time for our cadre to galvanize their rows and maintain the crescendo. People across the length and breadth of J&K have pinned their hopes on us. They want us to take up the mantle as they also know that only a duly elected representative government can take out the people from the current quagmire.”
Among others Central Zone President Ali Muhammad Dar, VP Kashmir Province Ahsan Pardesi, Provincial Women’s Wing President Er. Sabiya Qadri were also present on the occasion.
