Precious Kashmir

IAS, Civil Services Reserve List part of routine procedure: Dr Jitendra

Jammu & Kashmir

13/02/2021

Srinagar: The IAS/ Civil Services Reserve List is not the Waiting List, but is a part of an annual routine procedure.

This was stated by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also Incharge DoPT, when he was asked by the media to elaborate on the reply given by him in Rajya Sabha today in response to a question from a Congress member.

The Reserve List released by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) after the declaration of Civil Services Examination (CSE) is not the Waiting List, explained Dr Jitendra Singh. Pertinent to mention that the examination is conducted by the UPSC annually to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service and other All India Services .

Dr Jitendra Singh further explained that this arrangement of issuing the Reserve List was started in 2003. “At one point of time there was a writ petition in the Supreme Court questioning this arrangement. The apex court had upheld it in a judgement of 2010,” he said.

For eventually declaring the result of the Civil Services Examination (CSE) after conclusion of the examination process and recommending candidates for appointment to various services, the UPSC takes into account the total number of vacancies in all categories, the Minister stated in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

“In the first instance, the result is declared by the Commission after reducing it by the number of candidates belonging to the various categories, including SC, ST, OBC etc, who acquire the merit at or above the fixed general qualifying standard without availing themselves of any concession or relaxation in the eligibility or selection criteria,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.

Since CSE-2002, along with the candidates recommended in the first instance, the Commission further maintains a confidential consolidated reserve list that includes candidates from general and reserved categories ranking in order of merit below the last recommended candidate under each category, he said.

“After allocation of services to the candidates recommended in the first instance, more candidates are subsequently recommended from the consolidated reserve list by the UPSC, as per the requisition in this regard sent from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT),” the Minister said. The process, as applicable since CSE-2002 and as described above, has been followed in case of the CSE-2019 also, he said.

School Edu Dept asks officers not to sanction GPF in advance

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

13/02/2021

Srinagar: The School Education Department Friday said some Chief Education Officer’s (CEO’s) and in-charge officers were sanctioning Government Provident Funds (GPF) advances in respect of Central Services Rules while they were supposed to sanction it only from ordinary GPF advances.

The department ordered the officers not to sanction any GPF advance in contravention to the rules already conveyed in circular issued in 2020.

According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Directorate School Education Kashmir (DSEK) in an circular regarding implementation of GPF (Central Services Rules), 1960 have said , “With the implementation of GPF Central Services Rules, 1960 and the delegation of financial powers, the (CEO’s) principals, ZEO’s and Headmasters were to sanction only ordinary GPF advances.”

“But is has been noticed that some Chief Education Officers, Principals, Zonal Education Officers and Headmasters are issuing GPF sanctions and orders against the rules which needs to be stopped immediately,” it reads.

Chief Accounts Officer DSEK in the circular said that it is impressed upon all Chief Education Officers, Principals, Zonal Education Officers and Headmasters not to sanction any GPF advance in contravention to the rules already conveyed in circular issued in 2020.

“Further the Chief Education Officers are enjoined to carefully examine the cases for eligibility at their level before submitting to Directorate of School Education (DSEK) with correct particulars, to avoid unnecessary delay in finalization of cases,” he said—(KNO)

Ensure round the clock facilities to devotees: Sagar

City

Precious Kashmir

13/02/2021

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference impressed upon District and Divisional administration Kashmir to ensure round the clock facilities to devotees during the annual Urs Observances of Hazrat Habibullah Nowshehri (RA), Hazrat Haji Adhami, and Hazrat Baha Ud Din Ganjbaqsh (RA) at their revered shrines in Noushehar, and Nawhatta Srinagar respectively.

In a statement Party General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar urged the district and divisional administration to rise up to the occasion and ensure all facilities to devotees on the annual urs observances at the revered Shrines. The administration he said was duty bound to ensure hassle free Urs observance by providing round the clock transport facilities, drinking water and electricity supply at the revered Shrines. He also urged the administration to ensure swift commute of public transport on the roads leading to the major shrines.

Petrol Pump fined for short delivery

City

Precious Kashmir

13/02/2021

SRINAGAR: A team of Legal Metrology Department (LMD) Srinagar has imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 on a Petrol Pump owner for short delivery of fuel from 03 Nozzles of the Fuel Station.

The fines were imposed during an inspection conducted by the team of LMD headed by Deputy Controller, Kashmir Province, Muzafar Wani after a complaint was filed by an aggrieved customer against a Petrol Pump alleging short delivery of fuel.

During the inspection of the unit, it was noticed that 03 Nozzles of the Fuel Station were delivering fuel shorter by about 30 ml against every 5 Litres and these Nozzles were accordingly seized on spot.

The Pump owner while accepting the violations pleaded before the department to compound the case departmentally and only after a written assurance in which it was mentioned that such type of violation will not be repeated in the future, the case was compounded against a payment of Rs. 50,000/= for violation of Section 30 of the Legal Metrology Act 2009.

It was given out that these Nozzles will be released only after their proper calibration in presence of the Legal Metrology Officials.

Meanwhile, as per an official statement the general public is being made aware that in case of doubt, any consumer can check the quantity of the fuel themselves by the 5 Litre Conical Capacity measure, certified by the Legal Metrology Department which every pump has to keep under Law.

In case a Pump owner or manager refuses to provide the Capacity measure for the Check, a complaint can be lodged with the Legal Metrology Department on 01942490390.

It is informed that there are other facilities as well which every consumer can avail like the Free Air facility, Toilet Facility, Filter Paper for quality test, Complaint register etc, which is the Right of every consumer.

MEA says Trudeau commended India for holding dialogue with protesting farmers

National

United News Of India

12/02/2021

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hailed the Central government’s efforts to resolve the deadlock with the protesting farmers through “dialogue as befitting in democracy.’

“On the farmers’ protests, Prime Minister Trudeau commended efforts of the Government of India to choose the path of dialogue as befitting in democracy,’ said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava during his weekly media briefing held in virtual format.

`Trudeau also acknowledged the responsibility of his government in providing protection to Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in Canada,’ the spokesperson said.

The MEA statement came a day after Prime Minister Trudeau’s office said that he had spoken to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi about “recent protests’ — an obvious reference to the farmers protest at Delhi borders against the farm laws.

Cybercrimes and alertness

Edit

Precious Kashmir

12/02/2021

The numbers of people, especially young, using social media are increasing day by day. With it, the public visibility of personal communication and expression of ideas and emotions increase and happen at a rapid pace. However, crimes such as revenge porn, cyberstalking and slut shaming and hateful conduct are increasing on the social media platforms. Some, rather occasional controversies are subsumed over a period. However many problems remain and justice delivery mechanisms appear to be very complex and inaccessible to women and the marginalised when it comes to cyber crimes.

Apart from simplifying means for justice delivery, there is need to spread awareness as well as training law enforcement agencies and improve cyber forensic facilities including properly educating them on gender sensitisation. These steps would surely help to prevent such cases and expedite investigation.

There are several laws to prevent such crimes. The Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 (21 of 2000) has provisions regarding cheating by personation (section 66D), violation of privacy (section 66E), publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form (section 67), publishing or transmitting material containing sexually explicit act, etc. in electronic form (section 67A), publishing or transmitting material depicting children in the sexually explicit act, etc. in electronic form (section 67B), etc.

Rule 3 (2) (b) of Information Technology (Intermediaries guidelines) Rules, 2011 provides for an obligation for Intermediaries (Social media platforms) to inform users of computer resources not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, update or share any information that is grossly harmful, harassing, blasphemous defamatory, obscene, pornographic, pedophilic, libelous, and invasive of another’s privacy.

There is also a scheme namely Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC), funded under Nirbhaya Fund, under which an online Cyber Crime reporting portal, (www.cybercrime.gov.in) has been launched, to enable public to report complaints pertaining to rape/ gang rape imageries or sexually explicit content, Child Pornography/ Child Sexual Abuse Material.

This portal facilitates the public to lodge all types of cybercrimes with special focus on crimes against women and children.

The government is primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of crimes through law enforcement machinery. There is a need to take prompt action as per provisions of law against the criminals misusing the social media and regularly post horribly misogynistic comments including rape threats to women on social media.

While there are laws that need to be followed and utilized, the cause for the offences should be carefully studied and responded to by society also.

Govt tightens noose around its employees, seeks property, other details

Anchor stories

Afaq Bhat

12/02/2021

Govt tightens noose around its employees, seeks property, other details

Srinagar: The government has tightened noose around its employees and has issued strict instructions to them to file their property returns forthwith.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang Kondbarao Pole recently asked the all revenue employees of the Valley file the details of annual property returns and warned that if anyone fails to do so it would be treated as non-compliance.
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “The government during the past few months has been acting tough. The new rules which have come into force after J&K’s transition into a union territory are being implemented in letter and spirit. Many new laws have been framed to make the employees accountable.”
He said, “In the recent past anti-graft agencies like Anti Corruption Bureau have become very active and it appears that a strict vigil is being maintained over the employees. Even the retired government employees are under scanner.”
It’s in place to mention here that since the day Manoj Sinha has taken over as the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir things have changed drastically. He has kept the administration on toes and has made it amply clear that the corruption won’t be tolerated.
An official said, “Strict instructions have been passed to all the Head of Departments (HoDs) to strictly monitor the activities of their subordinates and if anyone is found involved in any sort of illegal activity, strict action should be initiated against him.”
The official said, “The employees being asked to disclose their property details is a significant move. It will bring to fore who owns what. In the recent past many such cases have come to fore where the employees had amassed huge assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. Properties of many such employees have been attached. The in-service employees stand suspended and cases have been registered against the retired employees.”
An observer said, “The developments that have taken place in the recent past indicate that the government is keen on wiping out corruption and deadwood from the system. The order stated that any employee having completed 22-years of service or having attained the age of 48 years can be retired too had created ripples. Message seems clear, perform or perish.”
He said, “Seeking property and other details seems to be a part of the exercise to drive home a point that times have changed and no one can misuse his official position for his personal gains.”

Major breakthrough achieved, troops disengaging: Rajnath

Front

United News Of India

12/02/2021

Major breakthrough achieved, troops disengaging: Rajnath

India did not concede anything * There are still some outstanding issues regarding deployment, patrolling at some points along LAC

New Delhi: Making a statement on the ground situation in Eastern Ladakh in the Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday assured the House that the country has not lost anything in the talks and some issues related to the deployment and patrolling in some areas on the Line of Actual Control were still pending and will be given special attention in further talks.

‘I want to assure this House that in these talks, we have not conceded anything. The House should also know that there are still some outstanding issues with regard to deployment and patrolling at some other points along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh,’ the Defence Minister said.

Singh further said that these points will be the focus of further discussions with the Chinese side.

The Defence Minister informed the House that a major breakthrough has been achieved between India and China in eastern Ladakh with both the sides initiating disengagement of troops from the southern and northern sides of Lake Pangong on a mutual agreement basis.

He said, ‘We have agreed that both sides should achieve complete disengagement at the earliest and abide fully by the bilateral agreements and protocols. By now, the Chinese side is also fully aware of our resolve.”

“India has strongly put across the message to China that it would not allow anyone to take even an inch of its land and that our defence forces have been firmly protecting the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country along the Line of Actual Control (LAC),” he added.

Elaborating on details of the agreement, he said, “I am happy to tell the House that as a result of our stand and continuous dialogue with China on the withdrawal of troops from the north and south sides of Lake Pangong, an agreement has been arrived.”

“According to this agreement, both sides will remove the troops deployed on the advance fronts in a phased, coordinated and calibrated manner,’ he added.

The Defence Minister said that the next round of talks between the military commanders of the two nations will take place on Friday.

During his statement, he also mentioned how China amassed troops in Eastern Ladakh in April 2020 and transgressed and were given a befitting reply by Indian forces. “Our 20 soldiers laid down their lives in protecting the sovereignty of the country and how both sides established military and diplomatic contacts, keeping with our efforts to restore peace and tranquility.”

Finance Deptt finds irregularities in fixation of pay due to extension of SRO-59 benefit

Front

Gul Owais

12/02/2021

Srinagar: The Finance Department has found irregularities in fixation of pay due to extension of benefit of SRO-59 of 1990 beyond date of withdrawal of SRO in works department.

It said the magnitude of irregularities can be gauged from the fact that an amount of Rs. 111.04 Crores have been recovered in the last one decade from 2010 to 2020.

A circular issued by Financial Commissioner Finance Department Dr Arun Kumar Mehta today directed officials to strictly comply with the instructions related to grant of extending the benefit of SRO-59 dated 06-02-1990 before sending the pension cases to office of Principal Accountant General.

Principal Accountant General (A&E), J&K has expressed serious concern over submission of pension cases of the retiring Government employees by the Government departments to his office without adhering to the relevant Rules and Regulations.

“It has been pointed out that gross irregularities have been noticed particularly in case of works departments (Jal Shakti, R&B, PDD, Irrigation and Flood Control, UEED and other offices),” the circular reads

“It has been observed that Drawing & Disbursing Officers (DD0s)I Pension Sanctioning Authority are allowing the benefit of SRo-59 dated 06.02.1990 even beyond date of withdrawal of the SRO i.e., 15.01.1996, and in many cases at the fag end of the service, retrospectively, without observing the rules and regulations, resulting in extra burden on the Government Exchequer,” it added.

The circular, a copy of which lies with the ‘Precious Kashmir’ further added that the magnitude of irregularities in matter of fixation and regulation of pay of employees can be gauged from the fact that an amount of Rs. 111.04 Crores has been recovered during the period from April, 2010 to March, 2020.

“Accordingly, Administrative Secretaries of works departments (Jal Shakti, R&B, PDD, Irrigation and Flood Control, UEED and other offices) are advised to direct DDO’s under their direct control to strictly comply with the instructions related to grant of extending the benefit of SRO-59 dated 06.02.1990 before sending the pension cases to office of Principal Accountant General,” it reads.

“A certificate to the effect that the benefit of SRO-59, allowed to the employee, has been found in order as per rules and all conditions for the grant of such benefit have been complied with shall be provided by the DDO, along with the pension case. In case of irregularities in pay, the DDO concerned shall be held personally responsible and excess paid amount shall be recovered from him,” it said.

Assembly polls in JK soon: BJP

Front

Abid Bashir

12/02/2021

Srinagar: The BJP national General Secretary Tarun Chug Thursday said that Assembly polls will soon be held in the J&K UT and the dates will be decided by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

“Assembly polls will be held soon after the delimitation process is over. J&K UT will have an elected government soon,” he said adding as for the dates of polls, that was upto the ECI.

“I think ECI will take a call on the dates of Assembly polls soon,” he said.

Asked whether statehood would be given to J&K UT, he evaded the query stating that it (statehood) will come at an appropriate time. “See J&K is heading towards development, peace and prosperity. This is BJP’s mission,” Chug said. He said that BJP’s mission is to make peace a permanent feature in J&K, revive tourists and make Kashmir an abode of peace, property and progress.

“I am glad to see a huge number of tourists arriving in Kashmir, visiting Gulmarg and other places in bone chilling winter. We as a party are working for tourism revival, prosperity in the Valley. I believe more and more tourists both domestic and foreigners will come to Kashmir in the weeks ahead,” Chug said.

He said he was in Srinagar to pay homage to BJP founder Pandit Deendhayal Updhaday. “BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendera Modi is following the mission of Pandit Deendhayal which is to end poverty and help poor all fronts,” Chug said that the mission is being greatly followed across the country including J&K also irrespective of cast, colour and creed—(KNO)

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