Mehbooba being sworn-in as CM at SKICC today 

On Rajnath's advise, BJP decides to support Mehbooba's nomination; Ram Madhav to call on her in Srinagar

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz 

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JAMMU, Jan 7: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti’s swearing-in as Chief Minister did not materialise on Thursday following her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s funeral in hometown Bijbehara as the politician in a shock felt indisposed at her Srinagar residence. Now Governor Narendra Nath Vohra would give her oath of office and secrecy at SKICC in Srinagar on Friday, STATE TIMES learned from highly placed political and bureaucratic sources.

Immediately after some funeral rites were performed at Mufti's Fairview residence on Gupkar Road and the body was despatched for Bijbehara in a flower bedecked carriage following Namaaz-e-Janazah at Sher-e-Kashmir International Cricket Stadium Sonwar, Ms Mufti confined herself to her bedroom. She could not respond to scores of phone calls including two from very important quarters in New Delhi: One from President of India Pranab Mukherjee and another from BJP chief Amit Shah. 

"She is unwell and sleeping", both were told.

Sources in the PDP called it "strange and surprising" that the media and politicians were making her Chief Minister at a time when she was in "deep shock" and "indisposed". She didn't even visit her village after her father was laid to rest.

"I don't know how journalists are reporting that PDP handed over a letter of support in her favour to Governor when no such development has taken place", PDP General Secretary Nizamuddin Bhat told STATE TIMES. He insisted that as long as Ms Mufti was not well, nothing of it would be even discussed. "Thereafter a proper legislature party meeting will take place and it will be resolved, hopefully unanimously, that she should be sworn in as Chief Minister. We are likely to receive similar resolution from our coalition partner BJP by tomorrow. Thereafter, with Mehboobaji's consent, we will submit both letters to Governor", Mr Bhat said.

On the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s advise, BJP legislators held a meeting at Hari Niwas guesthouse in the afternoon on Thursday and decided unanimously to support Ms Mufti’s nomination as Chief Minister. Later, according to informed sources, PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Governor Narendra Nath Vohra met briefly at Srinagar airport. They were, sources said, unanimous that Governor's rule would have to be imposed in case the new Chief Minister could not be sworn in by 4.00 pm Friday.

While maintaining that much would depend on Ms Mufti’s health and inclination, sources said that BJP national general secret Ram Madhav would fly to Srinagar on Friday morning and call on Ms Mufti to extend his personal and his party's condolences on her father's demise. The two leaders are expected to discuss the oath-taking as well as constitution of the new Council of Ministers. It is widely speculated that Ms Mufti would choose her own team and reshuffle portfolios, though not more than three Ministers from each party could be dropped and replaced by new faces.

"If all went well, Ms Mufti could be sworn in as CM tomorrow and thereafter the members of her Council of Ministers could take oath in a few days in Jammu", said a highly placed political source. Commencement of the Legislature's Budget session on January 18th makes it necessary to form the new government in the next 10 days.

Meanwhile after returning to the winter capital from Srinagar this evening, Government Vohra is understood to have discussed formation of the new government and Friday's oath-taking ceremony with Chief Secretary BR Sharma and Principal Secretary to the former Chief Minister Bharat Bhushan Vyas.

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[ Published in today's STATE TIMES ]

Mehbooba likely to take over as CM before Budget session

Baig called to Delhi; Ministers, BJP leaders, CS, DGP too in union capital 

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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JAMMU, Jan 5: With Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s condition deteriorating in an ICU at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the process of installing his daughter Mehbooba Mufti as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir is now underway in New Delhi.

Highly placed BJP sources in New Delhi confirmed to STATE TIMES that a process to clear the decks for Ms Mufti's installation as Chief Minister of the politically sensitive State had begun. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP's National General Secretary Ram Madhav and Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendra Singh, sources revealed, were in the loop.

Even as no timeline of the transfer of power to Ms Mufti, who would be the State’s first woman Chief Minister, had been fixed until Tuesday evening, sources said there was a "stark likelihood" of her taking over before commencement of the Budget session of the State legislature on January 18th. Currently, PDP's President and Lok Sabha member from south Kashmir, Ms Mufti would have the option of becoming a member of either House of J&K legislature in six months of her taking oath as Chief Minister.

Now 56-year-old, and a mother of two daughters, Ms Mufti made her debut in politics in 1996 when she contested and won her first Assembly election as Congress candidate from her home segment of Bijbehara where her father Mufti Mohammad had repeatedly lost all of his elections to National Conference. In 1983, Mufti was Congress party's candidate from the twin segments of Bijbehara and Homeshalibugh. NC's candidates defeated him on both. Later, he won Assembly election from RS Pora, Jammu.

Mehbooba played a key role in her father's victory as Congress candidate in Lok Sabha elections of 1998 when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed defeated NC's Mohammad Yousuf Taing from south Kashmir. However, a year later Mufti Sayeed lost to NC's Ali Mohammad Naik. Mufti, alongwith Mehbooba and some key associates floated his own regional party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999. In 2002 Assembly elections, PDP bagged 16 seats and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed became for the first time Chief Minister with the support of Congress and some independent MLAs.

In 2004 Ms Mufti contested and won her first Lok Sabha election, from south Kashmir. In 2008, she contested and was returned as MLA from Wachi segment of Shopian in south Kashmir when PDP bagged 21 seats but lost power to NC-Congress coalition. In 2014, Ms Mufti was yet again returned as Lok Sabha member from south Kashmir. Later in November-December Assembly elections, PDP got 28 seats and in March 2015 it formed its second government in Jammu and Kashmir---this time in an alliance with BJP and the separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajjad Lone. 80-year-old Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who had previously also functioned as Union Minister of Tourism and Union Home Minister, was appointed as Chief Minister for full term of 6 years.

On December 22, CM developed some health complications during a daylong tour of Srinagar city. He was shifted to Nehru Guest House for a night but next day flown to New Delhi and admitted in AIIMS. A few days back, his condition improved to the extent that he called some people, including his Principal Secretary BB Vyas on telephone twice to discuss some urgent matters of the government. However on Saturday, his condition began deteriorating again.

"His recovery would be a miracle but even if, God willing, he recovers, he would not be in a position to deliver as head of the government. Yes, we have deliberated on it and decided to support Ms Mufti as the next Chief Minister", a senior BJP leader and Minister said.

PDP leaders invariably maintained that neither Ms Mufti nor any other leader had thought about it. "We are very much hopeful that Mufti Sahab will recover soon. Whatever decision will be taken by him only", said a senior PDP leader, insisting to be anonymous. However, insiders in the top PDP rungs revealed to STATE TIMES that Ms Mufti on Tuesday called her senior colleague and Lok Sabha member from north Kashmir Muzaffar Hussain Baig to New Delhi for "some urgent deliberations". It is likely that Mr Baig, who arrived in New Delhi from Jammu in the evening, may initiate the process and nominate Ms Mufti as the next party leader and Chief Minister.

A number of senior PDP and BJP leaders, including Education Minister Naeem Akhtar, arrived in the Union capital and enquired about the health of Chief Minister. Chief Secretary Braj Raj Sharma and Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar also landed in New Delhi, though both attended scheduled official meetings with the Central officials.

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Two soldiers among 4 held for South Kashmir extortion spree

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz 

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JAMMU, Jan 1: Police in Kulgam district of southern Kashmir have arrested all the four persons, including two locsl soldiers of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) working with a camp of Rashtriya Rifles, and seized from their possession one fake AK-47 rifle purportedly used in an extortion spree by the organised gang.

As reported in Friday's edition of STATE TIMES, a gang of four unidentified persons, who were later identified, had extorted an amount of Rs 32,500 from the house of dental surgeon Dr Bilal Beg at Khriwan, Qazigund, on December 27 evening while masquerading as militants.

SHO Qazigund, Inspector Pervez Ahmad, said that Police registered case FIR No: 303 of 2015 under sections 452, 34 and 386 RPC on the complaint of Dr Bilal's sister Yasmeena and brother-in-law Dr Rizwan who had been robbed off by the gang on last Sunday. He said that during the investigation Police picked up one suspect and three more on his disclosures. He identified the civilians detainees as Muzaffar Ahmad Bhat and Nisar Ahmad of Nusu and said that two JAKLI general soldiers, Mohammad Yousuf Teeli of Khriwan and Mohammad Rafeeq Khandey of Sangran, were also arrested.

SHO Qazigund told STATE TIMES the local Army camp officers handed over the two local soldiers with "total cooperation" for questioning, detention and prosecution. "If soldiers commit a crime in company of civilian, prosecution and trial has to run in a civil court", Inspector Pervez said. He revealed that on Khandey’s disclosure, Police recovered a fake AK-47 rifle, claimed to have been used in commission of the crime, from his cowshed. Munsiff Court Kulgam yesterday remanded all the four detainees to Police custody for a week.

"The detainees disclosed during sustained questioning that after committing extortion at Dr Bilal's home, the extortionists had also raided another house in Khriwan and looted Rs 2,000. Thereafter they had intruded into the house of a physician Dr Mir Ishaque at Monghal in Anantnag district and extorted cash worth Rs 37,500 from his family. He said that Police Station Anantnag was registering a separate FIR ovet the extortion done at Monghal.

"We have recovered one fake gun which is strikingly identical to a real AK-47 rifle. They claim that they had destroyed another fake rifle used in the crime", Inspector Pervez said and asserted that all the four accused would be subjected to further investigation and prosecution to ascertain if they were involved in any other crime, particularly extortion. 

Even as the Police officers insisted that one or two fake rifles had been used in the extortion spree and subsequently seized by Police, they maintained that Army extended full support to the Police team and handed over the accused without any resistance. "We are investigating if this gang of four men has looted cash at any other house in South Kashmir", SHO said. He said that the money looted from the houses of two doctors in Khriwan and Monghal would be recovered on Friday night.

END

How Khandey failed to induct Hassan Mir's Munsiff son into IAS

A junior judge is on deputation with State Govt for over 10 years

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
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JAMMU, Dec 30: When senior IAS officer Mohammad Iqbal Khandey came off the hook in the infamous Srinagar sex scandal after the complainant witnesses turned hostile in a Chandigarh court, then Minister of Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir played a key role in his rehabilitation in bureaucracy. Mir managed his appointment as Principal Secretary Agriculture Production. Later, upon Madhav Lal's retirement, Mir was instrumental behind Khandey's elevation to the senior most bureaucratic position of Chief Secretary in February 2013.

Before his voluntary retirement in August 2015, three months ahead of his scheduled superannuation, Khandey made sustained attempts to induct Mir's son, Afroz Mir, into so-called technical quota (TQ) of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). However, he failed each time as the Department of Personnel & Training (DOPT) of the Government of India did not determine the vacancies for Jammu and Kashmir cadres under TQ in 2014 and 2015.

Highly placed authoritative sources in Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s government revealed to STATE TIMES that on Khandey’s instance, Commissioner Secretaries of General Administration Department (GAD) sent a series of communications seeking determination of the vacancies under TQ, making it a point that nobody had been inducted from Jammu and Kashmir for over the last five years, after former Law Secretary Ghulam Hassan Tantray.

"Neither in Omar Abdullah's nor in Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s government were the TQ vacancies determined by the DOPT. A list of highly influential recommendees, containing 13 names, was framed but kept a closely-guarded secret for it included junior officers on controversial deputations like Mir's son who had been appointed as a Munsiff in 2003 and soon sent on a brief deputation from judicial service to the Civil Secretariat.

Mir Afroz was initially appointed as Assistant Legal Remembrancer (ALR) in the State Law Department---a position equivalent to Munsiff or an Under Secretary to Government. However, enjoying high political clout, Mir Afroz was soon appointed on the far superior position of Director Defence Labour Procurement. In judicial service that position is stated to be equivalent to a District and Sessions Judge. As soon as then Chief Justice Bashir Ahmad Khan learned about the Munsiff's superior deputation, he dashed off a communication to Chief Secretary S.S. Kapur. Khan asked Chief Secretary to explain how a junior Munsiff had been elevated to a senior civil service position during deputation not approved by his employer---J&K High Court.

Suddenly the matter was hushed up purportedly after Mir called off his rebellion and surrendered before the PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Chief Secretary’s explanation did not see the light of the day thereafter. Even after Mir broke away with PDP and floated his own party, Mir Afroz was reither shifted by the State government nor recalled from unending deputation by J&K High Court. It was the time when 50 Munsiff courts were without a judge in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Someone other would have been called back within 6 months or one year as Supreme Court of India has given special direction to J&K Government that no stop gap arrangement should extend beyond 6 months. Since he was an influential Minister’s son, nobody in High Court or the State government dared to touch him", said a bureaucratic source.

Advocate Pawan Dev Singh filed an application under RTI Act last year and sought information from GAD about the non-KAS officials recommended, considered or granted induction into IAS after 2007. Even as the information was ready, the bureaucracy under Khandey made it a point that the name of Hassan Mir's son should not be made public under any circumstances. Singh filed the first appeal which failed to evoke any response from Civil Secretariat. His second appeal is currently under process with Jammu and Kashmir State Information Commission (SIC).

The SIC, according to sources, put its foot down and forced GAD to provide the information demanded. Sources in GAD disclosed to STATE TIMES that Sectional Officer Amreek Singh finally sent the information to SIC.

In reply to Singh’s first question, GAD made it clear that no non-KAS official had been inducted into IAS after 2007. His second question was: "How many officers other than those from State Civil Services (KAS) were recommended for appointment to IAS in pursuance to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir General Administration Department Services Section Civil Secretariat Srinagar Order No: GAD (Ser)IAS/88/2013 dated 08.08.2013 by the different State departments by or before the due date, furnish the names with the full particulars of the officers so recommended".

The GAD's reply annexure makes it clear that Mir Afroz, now posted as Secretary Khadi and Village Industries Board, figures at serial number 7. Director Accounts and Treasuries Kashmir Laila Chanda figures at serial number 6 but it is mentioned in the remarks column that she had become ineligible with crossing the age bar of 54 years.

Sources insist that some nominations, including Mir Afroz's, were deficient as these did not contain mandatory 10 years of "Outstanding" APRs or the mandatory Vigilance clearance. His nomination and recommendation, according to sources, came from the former Law Secretary Ghulam Hassan Tantray.

Incumbent Law Secretary Mohammad Ashraf Mir insisted that he had "absolutely no knowledge of such recommendations". "It didn't happen during my tenure", he told STATE TIMES. He was in fact surprised to know that Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs department of the Omar Abdullah government had also recommended some other law officers like Ghulam Nabi Ganai, ex-Minister Hassan Mir's OSD Abdul Majid Bhat and Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh.

Others recommend clandestinely for the IAS induction by different departments included MD of SRTC and then Director State Motor Garage Ghulam Ahmad Sofi (Transport), Medical Superintendent GB Pant Hospital Dr Shafqat Khan, Financial Advisor Health and Medical Education Department Zahoor Ahmad Wani, Accounts Officer Romesh Singh besides ADs/DDs of Planning and Development Department Anil Kumar Gandotra, Satvir Kaur Sudan, Shehzada Bilal Ahmad and Tariq Ahmad Khan.

Officials said that this nomination list of 13 non-KAS officials would change completely with fresh nominations as and when vacancies under TQ were to be determined by DOPT.

END

[ Published in today's STATE TIMES ] 

Mufti brings back booted out Dr Pampori as Principal GMC Srinagar

On Facebook, I was probably the first to resent unceremonious removal of Dr Rafeeq Pampori.  On Facebook and my WhatsApp group 'Kashmir Firstpost' I had taken categorical stand in favour of Dr Rafeeq Pampori and stressed on Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed that he must be brought back as Principal Government Medical College Srinagar. I had written that Minister Lal Singh is behaving like an insane joker. It is great of the Chief Minister that he has directly taken cognizance of this plea, and a lesser visible one by the medical fraternity, and brought back Dr Pampori as Principal GMC on Monday, within 2 days. A good Chief Minister should always take cognizance of the public voice without making anything as point of prestige or ego. Now that Lal Singh has been put to unprecedented shame by none other than CM, he must quit as Minister of Health and Medical Education and clear out for a better BJP MLA. Rogue and ruffians need not stand on the peoples' head as Ministers or bureaucrats.

Rewarding private practice!

Omar Abdullah's government appointed Kashmir's most 'famous' private practitioner as Director of the prestigious Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura at a time when politicians were running jihad against private practice of physicians and State Vigilance Organisation had raided clinics and booked noted clinicians in criminal cases. Now that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's government was talking much against private practice of government doctors, same government has appointed another busiest pediatric clinician as Principal of Government Medical College Srinagar. This not only lends recognition and sanctity to the illegal private practice but also signifies the huge gap between what our political leaders say and do. Crass hypocrisy!

Driving Licence Mafia:

Issuing driving licences and route permits to commercial vehicles is one of the most lucrative activities of government officials in Jammu and Kashmir. Driving test is held usually twice a week. Minimum of 400 to 600 driving licences (around 80% LMVs/two-wheelers and 20% heavy, hill and other commercial categories) are issued every month by each ARTO in 18 districts of Kashmir and Jammu. Numbers double or three times in principle districts of Srinagar and Jammu. Those who pass the driving test are only 10% and they are subjected to untold miseries. Others obtain these licences through "agents" who almost run their offices from the RTOs/ARTOs premises in full knowledge of people and Police. Currently the rates for a commercial licence (on which you can also get a government job as Driver) are Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000 if you are a fresher and Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 if your LMV license is three year old. Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 is charged for each LMV licence. At most of the places only a still photograph is captured rather than a video of the driving test. In short, an ARTO's ill-gotten income per month is Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh and an RTO's income goes upto Rs 50 lakh and Rs one Crore a month. Obviously this whole business cannot run without the participation and ashirwaad of the Minister incharge. Ironically, both Transport Commissioner Mr Khateeb and Secretary Transport Kifayat Hussain Rizvi are known to be meticulously honest officials. A couple of years back, our deceased colleague Izhar Wani's wife was asked to pay Rs 10,000 for transfer of ownership in RTO office Srinagar. One of our colleagues working with NDTV went to Chief Secretary Iqbal Khanday and narrated her tale. Khandey pleaded he was helpless. Chief Secretary as well as Minister of Transport Choudhary Ramzan did their best to dump the RTO as deadwood or at least shift him to some other posting. Both failed. Instead, then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah granted one year of extension to the RTO on his retirement. Because of this non-cadre officials brought from Mechanical Engineering department for deputation of 6 months continue as ARTOs for 8 and 10 years as they know how to share this 'maal' with the 'maalik'!

END