JAMMU, Jul 10: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Jammu & Kashmir unit has urged the government to accord priority to IAS and IPS officers who are domiciles of Jammu & Kashmir in postings within the Union Territory.
The party also demanded an immediate end to the continued transfer of local officers to other AGMUT cadre regions while replacing them with officers from outside.
State President Manish Sahni said that Jammu & Kashmir originally had a 50:50 ratio for the promotion of officers from the Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) and Jammu & Kashmir Police Service (JKPS) to the IAS and IPS.
He alleged that this was later replaced by the 33:67 All India formula, resulting in a steady decline in the representation of local officers at senior administrative levels.
Sahni further said that in the latest administrative reshuffle, six more IAS and IPS officers belonging to Jammu & Kashmir were transferred to other AGMUT cadre regions. He claimed that such transfers have become a recurring practice, while officers from outside the Union Territory are being appointed in their place.
He stated that Jammu & Kashmir is a strategically sensitive border region where local officers possess a better understanding of the security environment, geographical conditions, local languages, and the region’s unique socio-cultural fabric.
According to him, greater participation of officers familiar with Dogra and Kashmiri culture and local public sentiment is essential for effective, responsive, and people-centric governance.
Shiv Sena (UBT) demanded the early repatriation of Jammu & Kashmir’s domiciled IAS and IPS officers currently serving outside the Union Territory and sought priority for them in key administrative and policymaking positions within J&K.
The party warned that if the government fails to take a positive decision on the issue at the earliest, it will launch a large-scale democratic public movement.