Though Governor N N Vohra has terminated the services of dozens of political appointees engaged during last two years of PDP-BJP coalition rule in the state but many illegal appointees who were engaged with the clout of some key ministers of the previous Mehbooba Mufti led PDP-BJP coalition government have not been displaced by Vohra administration yet for the reason best known to the Governor and his team of three advisors two of whom are retired J&K cadre IAS officers of the chief secretary rank and status. Interestingly these political appointees have been engaged by one BJP affiliated minister from Kashmir and a former minister leading the ongoing campaign of dissidence in the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) the party on the ticket of which he was elected to state assembly in 2014 assembly elections and inducted twice in PDP-BJP coalition minister twice so for . So in a way it can be said that Vohra administration is sparing political appointees sponsored by the BJP or its Kashmir affiliates and the dissidents of the PDP on one hand and fast tracking the process of investigations in recruitment scams like the one that surfaced in J&K Khadi & Village Industries Board (J&K KVIB) prompting the then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to constitute a team of top officials headed by an officer of principal secretary rank and status for probing the selections. The actions of the Vohra administration against the consultants and political appointees engaged as heads of ancillary wings of department like social welfare and science technology departments were though expected with couple of weeks after the imposition of governor’s rule in the state but governor and his advisor holding the portfolios of such department are yet to act.
Since terms of the political appointees engaged on bureaucratic positions in violation of prescribed rules is co-terminus with the term of the popular government the Vohra administration is not mandated to allow such people to continue who have been engaged by the previous regime in violation of standing rules of the state government.
Any delay in terminating the services of such political appointees would surely sent out a message that Vohra administration is sparing the sponsors of BJP and its affiliates and the dissident legislators of PDP. Since terms of the political appointees engaged on bureaucratic positions in violation of prescribed rules is co-terminus with the term of the popular government the Vohra administration is not mandated to allow such people to continue who have been engaged by the previous regime in violation of standing rules of the state government.
