Srinagar: With additional charge syndrome continues to dominate the
Governance, affecting the functioning of the administration, Jammu and Kashmir may get more IAS officers in the coming months.
The Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh have strength of 137 IAS officers against the availability of 84 officers of which 11 officers are on central deputation.
Similarly, out of 69 IPS officers posted in JK, 22 are on central deputation. As the state has been bifurcated into two union territories-Jammu Kashmir, and Ladakh, they would require more IAS and IPS officers. “You will see more IAS officers who will be deputed to Jammu and Kashmir to make efficiency in its working.
In absence of ministers, the government wants to give responsibility to bureaucrats for running it in a better manner,” a top source in New Delhi told KNS.
At present to overcome the shortage of officers, the government has been allotting bureaucrats to additional responsibilities of holding charges two to three departments.
In 2015, the state government announced of framing a special mechanism to fight the additional charge syndrome to ease out pressure from the officers. However, the government continues to allot multiple departments to bureaucrats. This year, the General Administration Department has assigned additional charges to scores of bureaucrats.
An official of General Administration Department said that Jammu and Kashmir is facing shortage of officers at the top level. The official said that additional charge syndrome has been badly affecting the functioning of the government as these bureaucrats are not able to manage multiple departments. “More than 20 IAS and KAS officers are retiring this year and will further create shortage of officers in Jammu and Kashmir,” the official said.
Sources said that Centre was aware about this that there would be shortage of bureaucrats from next year. “That is why it has been decided to send more IAS officers to Jammu and Kashmir and also to Ladakh so that work does not get affected,” the source said.
The source said that Ministry of Home Affairs would also send some efficient police officers to Kashmir. “After abrogation of Article370, 35A, and bifurcating the state, there will be more challenge for the security forces how to deal with the situation. There are some people who are hell bent to take advantage of the situation for which efficient officers would be required to deal with the situation,” the source said. (KNS)
