The recent rotation of 235 junior scale KAS officers by the state government has drawn flak as 21 officers were retained for further six months which is in “violation of the rotational policy.” Sources privy to the development told news agency GNS that the rotation of the officers was made a few days back after a delay of almost one year. The rotation was implemented in 2011 by the then Chief Secretary Madhav Lal with an aim and objective to provide an opportunity to the all junior scale KAS officers in each and every department for a period of two years.
The policy was implemented in letter and spirit till 2016, however, was later delayed and derailed. However, due to serious efforts of All J&K Junior Scale KAS Association (AJJKSA), an order issued by the GAD (279 GAD of 2018) on February 20 for rotation of 235 officers belonging to 2011 and 2013 batch. Among them, 21 officers have been retained for the period of six months which, according to the sources said was in violation of the rotation as well as transfer policy issued by GAD itself. “From last, almost 1 year, the rotation policy file pertaining to the transfers of junior scale officers were going from one table to another table because of the reasons are well known to these blue-eyed officers who don’t want to implement it,” they said.
Those 21 officers, who were retained in the rotation policy, the source said, knew beforehand that they would not be touched as they were in contact with higher authorities. Sources said that there was anger among the many officers and have urged the government to do away with the order regarding 21 officers as it sends a “bad signal” especially when ruling PDP-BJP claims to be working against nepotism and corruption. By virtue of the order, the government had ordered that 78 junior KAS officers in the first phase shall join the new Departments immediately.
However, the (79) officers figuring in Phase-II and (74) officers in Phase-III shall move exactly after a gap of one and two months, respectively, from the date of issuance of the order (February 20). At the same time, 21 officers were asked to continue in the Departments where they are presently deployed, for a period of six months or till further orders, notwithstanding their allocation of new departments in any of the three phases of rotation.