Restructure of KPS likely to get Cabinet nod today

NL Correspondent

SRINAGAR: The final call over the proposed cadre review restructuring of Kashmir Police Service is likely to get the cabinet nod on Tuesday.

The government has framed the Cabinet Sub Committee comprising of three ministers each from the PDP and BJP. It was asked to submit its recommendations to the Cabinet over cadre review restructuring of Kashmir Police Service.

“The PDP wants implementation of the proposal that was also sent to the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC). The cabinet will take final call on the recommendations for restructure of the state police,” Chowdhary Zulfikar said, who is the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs minister and also a member of the six-member CSC.

Besides that Chandra Prakash Ganga, Bali Baghat and Lal Singh are part of the panel from the BJP, while Dr Haseeb and Naeem Akther represent the PDP in the committee.

Before the cabinet taking final call on Tuesday, the CSC would meet again and finalise the recommendations, Zulfikar added.

BJP State General Secretary, Ashok Koul, said the BJP would accept the decision taken by the CSC. “Chandar Prakash is heading that committee. Whatever decision is taken, the BJP will accept that,” Koul said.

The committee was framed after the BJP opposed Mehbooba Mufti's proposal to restructure Kashmir Police Service (KPS) officers' cadre.

The proposal was aimed at bringing the KPS officers at par with their counterparts in civil administration (KAS). At present the KPS officers are not eligible for promotion beyond the level of Senior Superintendent of Police while as their counterparts in civil administration can reach up to the level of administrative secretaries without their induction into IAS.

The KPS is one of the feeding services of the KAS like Revenue, Accounts and Excise and Taxation to which candidates are selected based on merit-cum-preference in the Combined Competitive Services. The KPS has, however, not been classified as a state cadre service, resulting in stagnation in promotion among the middle-rung police officers.

Earlier, the BJP had opposed the restructuring of the state police. “It is matter that pertains to the issue of re-organisation of KPS officers. BJP is not opposed to financial and monetary benefits and grades to KPS officers, but objects to giving ranks,” Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh had said.

“It was a minor issue.  Our take was simple that it is an issue pertaining to Department of Personnel and Trainings (Government of India), posts cannot be given without induction into Indian Police Service,” he had said.