The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — Following a tragic accident in Jammu, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has suspended six officials, including a Motor Vehicle Inspector from the Regional Transport Office in Kathua.

As per an order issued by the Transport department, an in-depth enquiry has also been initiated with officials directed to submit a report within a week.

Suspended officials, as per the order, include Ranjeev Bhasin, Motor Vehicle Inspector; Sumit Magotra, Junior Assistant; and four MTS staff: Ashwani Kumar, Aman Kumar, Keshav Singh, and Rakesh Kumar.

Parmvir Singh, Additional Secretary (Technical), Road Safety Council, J&K, has been appointed as the Inquiry Officer.

Notably, the accident, which occurred on Thursday, claimed the lives of 22 pilgrims and injured 69 others.

The deceased included six children and eight women, while the injured comprised 17 children and 29 women. The pilgrims, mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, were en route to the Shivkhori Shrine in Reasi district.

SRINAGAR — The Regional Transport Office (RTO) Kashmir has announced to shift its main office to a new building in Bemina on Tuesday.

The move, aimed at enhancing efficiency and accessibility, may cause temporary disruptions in routine services for a few days.

The RTO Kashmir Syed Shahnawaz Bukhari, while speaking to the news agency KNO, said that the transition to the new location is being meticulously planned to minimize inconvenience to the public.

“Efforts are underway to ensure a smooth shift while maintaining essential services as much as possible during the transition period,” he added.

He added that in light of the relocation, people are advised to anticipate possible delays in accessing RTO services during the transition phase.

However, to facilitate the public, the RTO has announced that the new office in Bemina will be open for visitors from Thursday.

JAMMU — In a big move, the Transport Department, UT of Jammu and Kashmir, has started centralised printing and dispatch of driving licenses, providing much-awaited respite to license card seekers.

The printing of about two lakh driving licenses, which was pending for more than a year and a half, has been resumed in collaboration with the Ministry of Road Transport, Government of India with the target to print and dispatch all the pending driving licenses within the next two months.

According to Rajinder Singh Tara, Transport Commissioner, J&K, the Motor Vehicle Department has also introduced a major facelift in the new cards, both in terms of durability and standards as the Department has decided to issue the QR code enabled Smart Cards as envisaged in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 marking a major shift from the issuance of normal laminated cards.

The Department has also made all necessary arrangements with the Postal Department to ensure the delivery of the licenses through Speed Post within 24-72 hours depending upon the distance, he added.

The applicant will also get tracking ID through SMS from the Postal Department on their Sarathi registered mobile number for easy tracking of delivery of their driving license.

JAMMU — In its endeavour to make the administration 'more efficient and transparent', the Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday ordered the premature retirement of two officers, one each belonging to the Prison Department and Transport Department respectively.

These officers conducted their duties in ways that were "unbecoming of public servants and in violation of the established code of conduct".

The exercise was conducted as part of a regular process of scrutiny of records of employees, who cross age/service period in terms of Article 226(2) of J&K CSRs.

"Out of these retirees, the officer belonging to the Prison Department was found involved in wrongdoings while performing his duties during his service career and had remained ineffective in discharging the assigned duties besides, had doubtful integrity. The other officer belonging to the Transport Department was found involved in a serious criminal case for acquiring disproportionate assets and had doubtful integrity with inefficient performance during his service career," the government order said.

It added, "According to the recommendations of the Review Committee, the performance of these employees was found unsatisfactory and their continuation in the government service was found against the public interest."

In the recent past, as part of its zero-tolerance policy towards 'corruption', various employees have been dismissed from service on account of official misconduct, after rigorously following departmental proceedings against them.

Many cases are under scrutiny with the Empowered Committees constituted for consideration of cases under Article 226(2) of J&K CSRs. Further, many employees have also been terminated from service on account of anti-national activities.

Meanwhile, the government has also initiated several measures for the human resource development of its employees in Jammu and Kashmir which include timely promotion of eligible employees leading to smooth career progression, fast-tracking the recruitment process through recruiting agencies and abolishing interviews for most the non-gazetted vacancies referred to the Services Selection Board.

The Government is also contemplating institutionalization of referral of vacancies to recruiting agencies so that recruitments start in the month of April every year in accordance with the defined calendar.

SRINAGAR — The Government of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday ordered for replacement of Sajid Yehaya Naqash as Regional Transport Officer, Kashmir, with immediate effect.

As per an order issued in this connection, Sajid Yehaya Naqash, JKAS, Regional Transport Officer, Kashmir, is transferred and shall await further orders of adjustment in the General Administration Department while Syed Shahnawaz, JKAS, Assistant Commissioner, State Taxes, Enforcement (North), Baramulla, Kashmir, is transferred and posted as Regional Transport Officer, Kashmir.

SRINAGAR — Transporters on Thursday invited the attention of the administration to difficulties facing them on account of the non-availability of the “Chief Board of Inspection” in the office of the Regional Transport Office here.

A delegation of transporters told news agency GNS that from the last 26 days, almost 50% of the vehicles are lying non-functional, causing tremendous difficulties to them as well as the commuters.

They said that no Fitness test is being carried out since the last officer, assigned with the duties, was transferred and in absence of any replacement, the transporters are made to suffer a lot.

“First, there was Wajahat sahib who was transferred to Ganderbal and then, he was replaced by Mubashir Sahib. However, within two days of the latter’s appointment, he was moved out but without making any replacement,” they said, adding, “We are now concerned as to who is assigned the job by the government but our concern is that there is no officer to discharge the duties which have resulted in great injustice to us.”

General Secretary of Transport Welfare Association Kashmir, Sheikh Mohammad Yousuf told GNS that the government will impose fines and penalties for the delay without there being any fault on part of a particular transporter.

“It is a great injustice to us. Almost 50% of vehicles are lying defunct for want of inspection which has not only affected the daily livelihood of the concerned transporters but as a consequence, commuters are facing tremendous hardships as there is a lesser number of vehicles available on a particular route,” he said and urged the authorities, especially Lieutenant Governor, to depute an officer to function as Chief Board of Inspection at RTO Kashmir.

“We also urge the government to issue instruction not to impose any fine or penalty for the days during which Chief Board of Inspection remained absent,” he requested.

SRINAGAR — Kashmir Welfare Transporters Welfare Association, an amalgam of various transporters associations, on Wednesday deferred ‘Chaka Jam’ (stop wheels) strike scheduled today after midnight negotiations with the government.

“There were two rounds of meeting with officers at Jammu during the day on Tuesday and both ended without any headway. However late last night, we were called for a meeting which started at midnight and lasted till around 3 AM,” General Secretary of the Association, Sheikh Mohammad Yousuf, told GNS.

He said that the meeting was held under the chairmanship of Divisional Commissioner Jammu and was attended among others by Transport Commissioner J&K, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, SSP Jammu besides other officers.

“They accepted most of our demands in principles following which we decided to defer the strike,” he said, adding, “We have been assured that a committee will be constituted with regard to our demands regarding the age of the vehicles while the other four demands were agreed on the spot.”

He said that Association along with other transport bodies from Jammu decided to defer the strike. “We have not called off the strike but only deferred it,” he added.

Among others, the Association demands rollback of the order dated February 7 by virtue of which age limit has been prescribed for the commercial vehicles. They demand “25 years age for the commercial vehicle be retained.”

With regard to the installation of vehicle tracking devices in passenger vehicles, Sheikh Mohammad Yousuf said that the government has agreed that the device can be procured from the open market and not from a few dealers designated by the Transport department earlier.

He said that the government also accepted the demand of not allowing SRTC to run its fleet in a manner that was against directions by the J-K High Court and other laws. The government, he said, also agreed that there would driving license test for auto rickshaws and that passenger tax arrears would be paid in instalments.