No DPC meeting of this Deptt held in 45 years
Arvind Sharma
Jammu Tawi, Mar 17: Tourism is the backbone of the economy of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) but due to the official apathy the frontline officers responsible for promoting tourism and implementing various government schemes at ground level are highly demoralized as no Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting has been held for the Tourism Department since the last 45 years.
It may be mentioned that the Tourism Department is being headed by the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in J&K.
This is adversely affecting tourism promotion and implementation of various government schemes at town, city and district level in J&K as the frontline officers are concerned about their career and are not being able to give their hundred per cent.
Due to non-conduct of DPC meeting since the last 45 years, the frontline officers of the Tourism Department have been reeling under a sense of insecurity, sources said.
As per the information gathered by the Northlines, more than 50 officers of the Tourism Department have retired since 1981 as Incharge Tourist Officers, Incharge Assistant Directors, and Incharge Joint Directors on own pay grade but got pension-benefits of non-gazetted post without their confirmation on gazetted post as no DPC meeting has been held in the last 45 years.
They also did not get pensionary benefits, sources said as they were not promoted to the next pay scale.
The last DPC of the Tourism Department of J&K was conducted in 1981, whereas the guidelines mandate every department of the government to hold DPC every 6 months i.e twice a year.
The DPC gives nod to promotion of the employees to the next pay scale but as no DPC meeting of the Tourism Department has been held in the last 45 years due to which many employees have retired without getting service and pensionary benefits.
The aggrieved staff of Tourism Department of J&K, both in Jammu and Kashmir, is highly qualified with MBA in tourism, while few are PhDs but they are not being given their due promotion to the next pay scale.
This in turn has badly affected the morale of the frontline officers who are supposed to promote tourism and implement various government schemes at ground level for promoting tourism.
In July 2025, the Tourism Department constituted a committee headed by Tourism Director Kashmir to devise a mechanism for confirmation of Incharge Tourist Officers and take up the matter with PSC but the committee didn’t hold meeting for the eight months.
