I brought local officers on centre stage: Azad

Srinagar, July 30 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today asserted that he had brought local officers on the centre-stage of policy and decision making, saying it was for the first time in the state's history that they were holding 90 per cent key positions in the administration.

''The argument that local officers in Jammu and Kashmir were not on top administrative positions does not hold good anymore,'' he told a day-long convention of KAS Officers Association here.

As a result, Mr Azad said there was a greater responsibility on them to perform and come up to the expectations of the people.

He said his government had involved several local officers in the decision making process, assigning them key positions. The topmost position of the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police were both held by local officers today, the Chief Minister added.

He also said for the first time, 19 out of 22 District Development Commissioners in the state were from Jammu and Kashmir itself, which was the reverse earlier.

Similarly, hardly a secretary level local officer was seen in the Civil Secretariat, but today there were as many as 27 IAS and KAS officers from the state holding positions of Financial Commissioner, Principal Secretary and Secretary to the government, Mr Azad added.

Last year as many as six important departments such as education, tourism, housing and urban development and health were given under the independent charge of local officers, he said, adding in the police department, local officers hold important positions now.

With this scenario in civil and police administration, the Chief Minister said local officers had to prove their mettle and delivery.

There was no room now for blaming the government for ignoring local officers in the decision making process, he added.

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