Angered by DyCM’s Delhi remark, Mehbooba leaves cabinet meet,
Let Delhi take all decisions, CM said when Nirmal objected to Police cadre review and sought Delhi’s clearance
In an extraordinary development Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti left the cabinet meeting in Jammu after she got irate when Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh raised objection over a proposal of the Home department about the Police cadre review.
According to sources, the Police cadre management review proposal was aimed at reviewing the postings of the locally-recruited J&K Police officers who cannot rise above the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).
They said when the proposal was presented at the end of the cabinet meet, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh raised objections saying, “The cabinet can’t take this decision.”
The sources said Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti reacted asking, “Why not?”
They quoted Singh as replying, “I first need to talk to my party and New Delhi.”
The sources said this made the CM angry, who responded saying, “If New Delhi is controlling everything then what are we doing here? Let Delhi take all decisions.”
With this she left the cabinet much to the astonishment of her cabinet colleagues.
They said the CM got irate because she herself heads the Home department and the hurdle created by the Deputy Chief Minister in way of the proposal is being seen as the way of BJP ministers challenging her authority.
Earlier, the Chief Minister had been upset at the cabinet meeting when Minister of State (MoS) Transport, Sunil Shamra had once again failed to turn at the meet with a cabinet note.
The sources said the Deputy Chief Minister later said he would manage the issue with the CM and persuade her to once again present the proposal with the next cabinet meeting.
After the meeting, Deputy CM, Minster for Public Works and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Minister for Forest Lal Singh, Minister for Finance Haseeb Drabu, Minister for Health Bali Baghat and Minister for R&B Abdul Haq Khan later went to persuade the CM at her Wazarat Road residence.
However, she did not pay much heed to them and continued to be angry.
The sources said the proposal would have created chances for the locally-recruited police officers to rise above the rank of SSP by keeping a 25 percent reservation for them for the posts like DySPs and 30 percent for the posts like SPs and providing them a level playing field to some extent with the KPS and IPS officers.
They said the proposal also aimed to keep 50 percent vacancies for the recruitments in Junior scale in General cadre by promotion of inspectors and 50 percent through Jammu Kashmir Public Service Commission.
The sources said the Home department proposal had also suggested having four DIGs by way of inclusion and upgradation and one Selection Grade officer’s inclusion as a DIG after cumulative gazette services of 25 years or five years services in Selection Grade (I).
Similarly, two posts of IGs by way of inclusion, they said.
The sources said the proposal was aimed to revise the Jammu Kashmir Police (Gazetted) Services and the Jammu Kashmir Police Services was to be categorized into seven groups – General, Telecommunication, Photography, Police Transport Workshop, Prosecution, Ministerial and Stenography.
The main features of the proposal were introduction of selection grade at the level of DySPs and SPs, enhancement of Selection Grade quota at the level of SPs in different cadres, introduction of deputation reserve in deputation reserve in Prosecution cadre.
The main impact of the proposal would have been removal of stagnation in various cadres of State Police and carving out higher scales of pay in the General Cadres of Jammu Kashmir Police (Gazetted) Service on the pattern of Kashmir Police Services and Jammu Kashmir Accounts (Gazetted) Services.
The proposal would have increased the burden on the State budget to the tune of Rs 3.44 crore.
