For the past few months, the Jammu and Kashmir Administration has been very actively bringing changes in the establishment, conduct rules and administrative reforms in the erstwhile Jammu Kashmir state now a union territory.
People at large do not generally hold good opinions about the government employees and bureaucracy; in Jammu Kashmir it perhaps has a poorer version so far their mindset, work-culture, accountability, lavish perks and above all brazen corruption are concerned.
A very large section of the government officers and employees following their political ideologues in Jammu and Kashmir have been nursing a hostile mindset towards anything Indian except for the Indian money and pay commissions recommendations. Sometimes they demonstrate in their conduct and actions too. Despite all this, the earlier governments and administrations looked the other way and have been keeping a soft approach towards the malady.
The present dispensation has come down heavily on the employees and officers who have been supporting and sympathising with the subversive and secessionist elements in J&K Administration.
A couple of latest notifications issued by the Administration have amended the rules and definitions to put a check on the government employees and officers who have been relating to or identifying with the cause of anti-national elements or ideology.
With new changes in the rules, the employees involved in anti-national activities will face termination. Few terminations of employees in the past few months have already been on record to take queue from.
The new set of rules now envisages that every employee is mandatorily required to maintain absolute integrity, honesty and allegiance to the Union of India and do nothing which is unbecoming of a government servant.
The government has also warned employees to face termination from service for their involvement in anti national activities or association or sympathy with persons Involved in any act of sabotage, espionage, treason, terrorism, subversion, sedition, secession, facilitating foreign interference, incitement to violence or any other unconstitutional act.
However, the order issued by the government on Thursday said that the decision of the Union Territory (UT) Level Screening Committee (UTLSC) can be reviewed by the Review Committee, on reference to it by the UT Level Screening Committee or on the representation of any aggrieved employee or employees.
The government has constituted UTLSC for the purpose vide Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Verification of Character & Antecedents) Instructions, 1997, notified vide Government Order No.191B-GAD of 1997 dated 09.12.1997 as amended from time to time, for its decision. The UTLSC has been authorized to conduct periodic verification of character and antecedents of Government employees and recommend action.
However, the political parties particularly of Kashmir in unequivocal terms denounced the latest vigilance clearance and conduct rules for JK employees, terming them arbitrary and dictatorial.
Calling the new set of rules with regards to JK employees an upfront attack on the rights and privileges of employees; they demanded the roll-back of these rules.
A hot debate is likely to begin in the next few days for political reasons undermining the prerogative of the Government to make service and conduct rules for its employees. While the government may be justified to bring in such changes in the conduct rules, unfair and arbitrary application of enforcing such rules against a select few should be avoided.
