Policy of post retirement extensions almost given up by the popular governments of erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state now revived by the present J&K Union Territory Government is proving more dangerous than post retirement rehabilitation of the bureaucrats. The top two key posts in top two key institutions Jammu & Kashmir Bank and the Jammu & Kashmir Board of School Education (J&K BOSE) are held by the retired public functionaries on post retirement extension terms. While the government was obliged to advertise both the posts of Chairman Jammu & Kashmir Bank and as well as Chairperson Jammu & Kashmir Board of School Education (J&K BOSE), the government has choosen to extend the term of the appointment of Chairman Jammu & Kashmir Bank R K Chibber by not less than three years without any rhyme or reason . On the contrary the government while choosing to advertise the post of Chairperson J&K Board of School Education (J&K BOSE) presently headed by Viena Pandita on three months post retirement extension has choosen to modify the basic eligibility criteria to make officers of KAS and All India Services eligible for appointment as Chairman J&K BOSE . Notably the post of Chairperson Board of School Education has been always held by the academicians of the rank of Degree College Principals. The recruitment rules can’t be changed for the reasons of convenience but for the reasons of institutional and administrative suitabilities and capabilities for the top key posts of the top academic body. The people having administrative wisdom reserve the right to ask the government that do we have to open gates for the state and central officers even for positions of university vice chancellors.
The retired top bureaucrats and academicians are always choosen for the positions of Chairperson and members of J&K Public Service Commission but the posts of Chairman J&K Bank and Chairperson J&K BOSE have been mostly held by the serving officers and very rarely these posts have been offered to retired bankers and academicians.
Bureaucraisation of the academic institutions will by all standards of understandabilities prove disastrous for the future of education system in Jammu & Kashmir. Those casting doubts over the post retirement rehabilitation of retired Kashmiri officers need to put the record straight and admit the fact that Mohammad Ashraf Bukhari was not appointed Chairman BOPEE after his retirement as Secretary GAD but several months after retiring as Commissioner/Secretary Agriculture he was tipped for the post of Chairman BOPEE. Though Hilal Ahmad Parray was appointed as Commissioner J&K Vigilance Commission after retiring as Secretary GAD but his term was terminated only few months later. Knowing that people of good administrative track record have been choosen to head both the J&K Public Service Commission and as well as Ladhak University, no one from Kashmir raised any objection over the post retirement rehabilitation of B R Sharma or C. Phonsong. Otherwise also the retired top bureaucrats and academicians are always choosen for the positions of Chairperson and members of J&K Public Service Commission but the posts of Chairman J&K Bank and Chairperson J&K BOSE have been mostly held by the serving officers and very rarely these posts have been offered to retired bankers and academicians.