Though a super time scale IAS officer superior to his contemporaries in the bureaucracy deserves the key position of Secretary tourism but the government after lot of dilly delaying tactics the government has handed over the charge of Secretary Tourism to an officer who started his career as a contractual employee and finally found himself fortunate enough to get the charge of the coveted position of Secretary Tourism. Very unfortunate it is that when many senior IAS officers holding the positions of Commissioner Secretary and Principal Secretary known for their integrity and performance are available, the government has choosen to give charge to an officer who could have been flatly denied even regularization of services after his induction as a contractual employee in State Pollution Control Board (SPCB). Very unfortunate it is that an officer whose credentials have not been tested either as the director of any key department or deputy commissioner of any district would be now controlling two KAS officers working as directors in the tourism department. Though the officer given the additional charge has worked as Vice Chairman Lakes & Waterways Development Authority (LAWWDA), Commissioner Civil Defence Labour and Additional District Development Commissioner Srinagar prior to becoming Managing Director J&K Tourism Development Corporation, but he has not been able to perform well on any one of many positions he held in the middle rungs of the state bureaucracy so for. The postings of junior officers on key positions in the higher echelons of power has in fact now become a routine affair for the Mehbooba government which unfortunately even today has kept vacant the key positions of Secretary Revenue and Secretary Information obviously for the reasons of not finding the people of its own conveniences available for top positions.
Friends in media can only forewarn the incumbent Mehbooba government of the dangerous consequences of its highly objectionable decisions of placing non performing junior officers on key positions at top levels in the civil administration but in the end it is for the Chief Minister to put right people at right places on ground of merit, performance and integrity.
Interestingly Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti recently sought cooperation from the officers in her government’s “fight against corruption”, but the people brought by her at plum positions are not only known for their poor showing in the past but are one of those back door appointees who have risen to higher ranks with the clout of some of the former ministers of doubtful integrity. Friends in media can only forewarn the incumbent Mehbooba government of the dangerous consequences of its highly objectionable decisions of placing non performing junior officers on key positions at top levels in the civil administration but in the end it is for the Chief Minister to put right people at right places on ground of merit, performance and integrity. After all the law makers themselves are judged by their actions when they seek their re-election to assemblies and parliament and it is for them to judge the officers and officials also by their actions to smoother the process of governance in the state.
