Chairman doesn’t want any more members in PSC

Basharat likely to get 3-year extension as MD PDC; other aspirants upset

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Dec 17: After receiving a communication from Chairman S L Bhat that Jammu & Kashmir State Public Service Commission (PSC) was not currently in need of any more members, Omar Abdullah’s government has shifted well-connected bureaucrat Basharat Ahmad Dhar to the State Power Development Corporation (PDC)---clearly to pave way for ‘extension’ of his service for the next three years. Mr Bhat’s communication is understood to have brought disappointment to nearly half-a-dozen senior government officials who had been pulling all possible strings for their appointment as members in PSC.

While the search was underway for incumbents to fill up four vacancies and a number of retired and retiring public servants were trying all pulls and pressures, Mr Bhat is said to have communicated to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah that PSC did not require any more members as it was not currently overburdened. Highly placed bureaucratic sources revealed to Early Times that immediately after receiving the communication from PSC, Government began finding alternative opportunities for post-retirement rehabilitation of certain well-connected bureaucrats and officials.

Standing at top of the list, high profile Sheikh Mehboob Iqbal, who retired as Commissioner-Secretary PHE & Irrigation on 30-11-2011, was not inclined to hold any position in the government. His inclusion in a group of officials, facing charges in a corruption-related matter, is said to be a reason. However, sources close to him insist that he had long back communicated his desire of joining the Congress party to union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. His reception rally in Bhaderwah the other day has only strengthened speculations of his joining politics.

Next in the line was none other than the equally high profile Commissioner-Secretary Power, Basharat Ahmad Dhar, whose appointment as a member of PSC was being rated as a forgone conclusion. But, immediately after the negative communication from PSC, Basharat’s political patrons began looking for his rehabilitation in an alternative domain. Decision was taken to shift IAS Officer Shaileen Kabra to Animal Husbandry Department and appoint Basharat in his place as Managing Director of PDC.

Just two weeks before his date of retirement, Cabinet yesterday accorded sanction to the already taken decision. Sources said it was “merely a formality”. With this, state’s entire power kingdom will function under Basharat and the renowned NC loyalist and former Chairman of J&K Bank Ltd, Mohammad Yousuf Khan. Mr Khan has been lately appointed as head of a newly floated government company that would soon launch Rs 10,000 Cr power generation operations in J&K. IAS officer Sudhanshu Pandey would be the third key partner as Principal Secretary Power.

From Kashmir valley, three more senior officers of Kashmir Administrative Service, now all in IAS, were being rated as top aspirants for the vacancies in PSC.

They include Commissioner-Secretary of the all-important General Administration Department (GAD), Mohammad Sayeed Khan (who is retiring on 31-01-2012), Commissioner-Secretary of School Education, Mrs Naseema Lankar, (retiring on 28-02-2012) and Commissioner-Secretary of Health, Ghulam Ahmad Pir (retiring on 31-03-2012).

Messers Khan and Pir are widely rated as officers of high integrity and competence, though they do not have the history of resisting bad and flawed orders of their political bosses. They also share the distinction of having no charges of corruption against them throughout their career.

From Jammu division, retired Director of Health Services, Dr Jasbir Singh, 1981-batch IAF officer and Chairman of J&K State Pollution Control Board, Lal Chand, (retiring on 31-01-2013), Chief Engineer of PHE, B R Dogra, Chairman of J&K Subordinate Services Recruitment Board, Bua Ditta Bhagat, (retiring on 31-05-2012) besides Commissioner-Secretary Animal Husbandry, Dr Bishen Das Sharma, (retiring on 31-10-2012), who was appointed yesterday as full-fledged Commissioner-Secretary PHE & Irrigation, were all believed to be top aspirants for three of the four three vacancies in PSC.

Two more of KAS-turned-IAS officers, namely Dr Syed Mohammad Fazalullah (Kashmir) and Dr R.K. Jeerath (Jammu) and were also likely to be considered for two vacancies, one each from Kashmir and Jammu. Both are known for their integrity but neither of them has gained proximity to politicians. Both are reaching superannuation within a year.

Under SRO-52 of 2007, PSC comprises Chairman and eight members. However, there is no binding on the authorities to ensure that all the nine are in place. After the retirement of Dr Tara Singh (in December 2010), Dr H L Goswami, Roop Lal Bharti and Mohammad Manzoor Bhat (on 29-05-2011), PSC’s total strength has reduced to just Chairman and four members. Only one of the five, namely K B Jandial, belongs to Jammu division.

Chairman S L Bhat is due to retire in September 2014. Among the existing members, Javed Makhdoomi is retiring in January 2013, Khizar Mohammad Wani in January 2014, Masood Samoon in September 2014 and K B Jandial in November 2014. Bureaucratic sources said that the Government was not bound by law or precedence to act on Chairman’s advice but believed that it could further delay appointment of fresh members for PSC.

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