CM calls for ending ‘attachment practice’

Jammu, Dec 3: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday called for putting an ending to the practice of attachments.

Chairing a high-level meeting at the civil secretariat to review the functioning of the General Administration Department (GAD), the CM specifically called for a review of attachments in the Health and Medical Education and Education Departments.

“We must put an end to this practice,” he said.

The CM held discussions on key aspects, including the working of the J&K Public Service Commission, J&K Service Selection Board promotions, cadre management, training, transfers, and other administrative matters.

Emphasising the need to address stagnation among JKAS officers, he directed the department to propose actionable solutions.

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to grow,” CM Omar said.

To ensure streamlined governance, he gave directions to impose a complete ban on re-employment, extensions, additional charges, and attachments, except in extraordinary circumstances.

“The distribution of posts following the reorganisation must be looked into. We need to address disparities and ensure that J&K has adequate posts to meet administrative demands,” the CM said.

He also inquired about the status and performance of employees appointed under the PM Package for Kashmiri migrants.

CM Omar directed the department to examine the re-appropriation of posts following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir and the creation of Ladakh Union Territory, noting discrepancies in the distribution of vacancies.

Earlier, Commissioner Secretary GAD, Sanjeev Verma, presented a detailed overview of the department’s functioning, covering key sections such as administration, cabinet coordination, personnel management, cadre management, and transfer policies.

Discussions also focused on compassionate appointments under SRO-43 and the J&K Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme-2022, as well as service-related matters for All India Services and J&K Administrative Services.

The meeting reviewed IT initiatives like SPARROW, JKHRMS, and officer training programmes.

Advisor to the CM, Nasir Aslam Wani; Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo; Additional Chief Secretary to the CM, Dheeraj Gupta and Commissioner Secretary GAD attended the meeting.

In a separate meeting, CM Omar reviewed the establishment of Raabta – the CM’s Public Services and Outreach Office, a single-window interface aimed at enhancing government-citizen interaction.

On improving grievance redressal systems through Raabta, he said, “Raabta will serve as a bridge between the government and the people, ensuring timely delivery of public services and enhancing public participation in governance, and added that “it is a step towards a more responsive and citizen-centric administration.”

The CM directed officials to integrate Raabta with JK Samadhan to create a unified and comprehensive grievance redressal system.

“By integrating Raabta with JK Samadhan, we are creating a unified grievance redressal system that will ensure faster resolutions and a more streamlined approach to addressing citizens’ concerns,” he said.

Secretary Grievances, Aijaz Asad, presented the framework for Raabta, highlighting its role as a bridge between the government and citizens.

The platform will enhance public participation, ensure a responsive government, and enable the timely delivery of public services.

Citizens will be able to submit grievances and suggestions through both offline and online modes.

The meeting discussed the structure of the outreach office, including staffing requirements, deployment of senior officers, and technical and administrative personnel required to ensure efficient operations.

The integration of JK Samadhan, an existing grievance redressal platform, with Raabta was also deliberated.

BISAG’s Additional Director General informed the meeting that the integration process is underway and will soon be operational, benefiting the public at large.

Advisor to the CM, Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM, and Principal Secretary IT also attended the meeting.