Despite Model Code nearing, Govt fails to fill key posts

BOPEE, BOSE, SAC, SHRC hit in absence of chairmen, members

The Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) has become the latest statutory body to join the long list of headless institutions in the State as the National Conference-Congress regime is sitting on making key appointments despite the fact that Model Code of Conduct for Assembly polls is not too far.
Even institutions like J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and State Accountability Commission (SAC) would be defunct shortly.
BOPEE:
Prof R D Sharma who took over as BOPEE Head on August 18, 2012, completed his 2-year term on Sunday.
“I have completed my term and have asked the government to make arrangements for finding new Head of the institution,” Sharma told Greater Kashmir.
The BOPEE chairman, as per law, is appointed by government on the recommendation of a screening committee headed by Chief Secretary and comprising vice-chancellors of Kashmir and Jammu universities.
Before 2007 amendment in the Board of Professional Entrance Examinations Act, Governor of the state happened to be the appointing authority for the chairman.
SHRC:
The human rights watchdog- State Human Rights Commission- is not only without its Head but is completely defunct since June 28 this year. The non-seriousness of the government towards the vital institution can be gauged from the fact that it is headless since 2011.
Its chairperson Justice (Retd) Bashiruddin retired in October 2011. Since then no one has been appointed as the SHRC chairperson. The last two serving members of the commission- Rafiq Fida and Amlok Singh- completed their term on June 28 this year.
BOSE:
The post of Chairman Board of School Education (BOSE) is vacant since April 2013, after the government repatriated Sheikh Bashir Ahmad to his parent department.
Since then the government has made no efforts to fill the post leaving the institution at the mercy of lower officials.
Even as the government constituted a search panel in October last year to nominate eligible persons for the posts of Chairman and Secretary BOSE, it is yet to submit its recommendations.
If sources are to be believed, the government is no mood to fill the post for which even IAS and KAS officers have applied.
State Commission for Backward Classes:
The State Commission for Backward Classes (SCBC) is without a Chairman for the past two months.
Justice Ali Muhammad Mir completed his term as the body’s Head on June 30 but since then government is sitting over appointing his successor.
The government’s non-seriousness has left the institution defunct as its members cannot take a final call on inclusion of localities in the backward list in absence of a Head.
The commission’s members -former district and sessions judges, Khaleq-ul-Zaman and Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, former Director Fisheries, T. Angchuk and former Chairman Board of Professional Entrance Examinations, Prof. Santokh Ram- along with other staff have no work to do in absence of the chairperson.
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION:
The Public Service Commission- the body responsible for conducting selection process for gazetted posts including the prestigious Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS)- has been at the receiving end during the Omar Abdullah-led government. The Constitutional body is left with two members, who too are completing their term in next two months. PSC Chairman, SL Bhat, is completing his term on September 11 this year while K B Jandial will leave on November 16.
The original sanctioned strength of PSC is nine members.
SAC:
The State Accountability Commission is all set to become defunct on August 20 as its chairman Justice (retd) Y P Nargotra and Justice (retd) Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain would complete their 3-year term. Although the present regime credits itself with reviving the SAC, the institution faced government indifference during the past three years.
In 2011, Governor NN Vohra had asked the government to appoint second member of the anti-graft body, but the government didn’t fill the vacancy.