Srinagar: The cabinet sub-committee which met on Monday about caderisation of Kashmir Police Service (KPS) into Indian Police Service (IPS) has sent its recommendation to the two PDP ministers who did not attend the meeting yesterday and the Home Secretary.
“The four ministers of the sub-committee who attended the meeting signed the recommendations. Now, the document has been sent to the two PDP ministers who did not attend the meeting for their approval and also to Home Secretary,” one of the ministers who attended the meeting told KNS.
The meeting was attended by sub-committee chairman Chandra Prakash Ganga, Industries and Commerce Minister, Minister for Health and Medical Education Bali Bhagat, Forest Minister Lal Singh and Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu.
However, two PDP ministers, Naeem Akhtar, minister for Public Works, and FC&CA Zulfikar Ali did not attend the meeting.
“It depends upon the ministers whether they will sign the recommendations or not for their approval,” the minister said.
However, sources in PDP said that the party would stick to its stand on caderisation of KPS officers into IAS.
The recommendations will be put before the state cabinet for its decision which is meeting tomorrow in Civil Secretariat at 11 am under the chair of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
As per the recommendations, the KPS officers will get time-bound grades of Selection Grade DySP, Additional SP, SSP, DIG and above after stipulated period of time like four to five years as was the case in neighbouring States of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. However, they will not be given the rank of DIG or IGP till they were inducted into the IPS
Earlier, the BJP had opposed the proposal of reserving two Inspector Generals and four Deputy Inspector Generals for KPS officers, creating a wedge in the coalition. Following the differences, six-member cabinet sub-committee was constituted with three each ministers from PDP and BJP.
The proposal was aimed at bringing the KPS officers at par with their counterparts in civil administration (KAS). At present, the KPS officers are not eligible for promotion beyond the level of Senior Superintendent of Police, while as their counterparts in civil administration can reach up to the level of administrative secretaries without their induction into IAS.
The KPS has, however, not been classified as a state cadre service, resulting in stagnation in the promotion of the middle-rung police officers.
Earlier, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Sing had said that the party “objects to giving ranks” to KPS officers.
“Our take was simple that it is an issue pertaining to Department of Personnel and Trainings (Government of India), posts cannot be given without induction into Indian Police Service,” he had said. (KNS)
