State Cabinet, which is meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti on Monday is likely to order postings in the civil administration besides taking decision on the routine administrative agenda.
Official sources told KNS that Cabinet is scheduled to meet Civil Secretariat, Srinagar at 3 PM on Monday, and this would be the last meeting of the highest decision making body before the closure of Durbar at Summer Capital of the State.
Sources said that many Departments particularly in Kashmir valley have been lying vacant during the past quite long time and cabinet is likely to fill up the same. The departments lying vacant include Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control, Regional Transport Office Srinagar Kashmir.
Farooq Ahmad Rather, Regional Transport Officer, Kashmir, was transferred on September 20 and posted as Chief Executive Officer, Integrated Watershed Management Programme, J&K, against an available vacancy.
Irrigation and Flood Control Department Kashmir is headless for the last two weeks.
The previous Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control got retired on September 30 and since then government has failed to appoint the new head of the department. “The dredging work has been severely affected as we don’t have Chief Engineer who could issue orders for various important decisions,” an official of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, told KNS.
The official said that presently the Chief Engineer Public Health Engineering was holding the additional charge of Irrigation and Flood Control Department.
Sources believe that there was tussle between the PDP and BJP over appointment of Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control Department. The BJP wants that Chief Engineer should be from Jammu while the PDP wants that a Kashmiri should be appointed there.
Meanwhile quoting some examples, sources said that cabinet may also fill up the post of secretary tourism, floriculture, parks and gardens. Similarly sources said that departments, including revenue, disaster management, relief rehabilitation and reconstruction and science and technology may also be filled.
Sources said that the possibility of Cabinet ordering transfers and postings in the Police Department cannot be ruled out.
One of the BJP minister confirmed to KNS that Cabinet meeting will be held on Monday in the civil secretariat. However the minister said that the agenda of the meeting was not yet circulated. (