New Delhi: Union Minister of State for PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh has called upon the All India Officers to transform J&K into one of the best governed States and Union Territories of the country.
During a luncheon interaction with IAS, IPS, IFoS officers of erstwhile J&K cadre, currently posted in the national capital here recently, Dr Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi accords the highest priority to Jammu & Kashmir.
“It is, therefore, an added responsibility of All India Service officers to strive to transform J&K into one of the best governed States/UTs of the country. Jammu & Kashmir is witnessing a new dawn of development and peace,” he said, adding that from January 2022 till date, 1.62 crore tourists have visited J&K, which is the highest in 75 years of independence.
He noted that after three decades, Kashmir Valley is attracting lakhs of tourists, which not only heralds the return of golden era of Kashmir tourism but also underlines the overall peace, development and change happening fast in the Union territory.
Dr Singh also underlined that the new comprehensive Film Policy launched with much fanfare is attracting film-makers for shooting after decades and within a year of notification of this policy, as many as 140 shooting permissions for films and web-series have been issued.
He also informed the senior officers of IAS, IPS and IFoS from erstwhile J&K cadre that deputation rules of Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) have been relaxed to encourage IAS and other All India Service Officers as well as officers of the Central Services to get posted in J&K.
Dr Singh said that DoPT has played a major role in facilitating induction of Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Services Officers into IAS by coordinating with the UT of J&K, Ministry of Home Affairs and the UPSC. As a result, recently 16 officers from JKAS have been inducted into IAS and another 8 such vacancies will be filled up shortly giving opportunities to the JKAS officers to become part of prestigious IAS service after a long gap of 12 years.
Senior IAS officers including Pradip Kumar Tripathi, Secretary, Coordination, in the Cabinet Secretariat, Sundeep Kumar Nayak, Director General, National Productivity Council (NPC), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Shantmanu, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Joint Secretary DoPT, Dr Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Niraj Kumar, ARC, JK House among others exchanged views with Dr Jitendra Singh over the luncheon meeting at his residence. /BI/
