Article 370: J-K cadre IAS, IPS officers to continue in old role; new recruits to get AGMUT cadre

IAS, IPS and other central service officers of J-K cadre will continue to serve in the two successor Union Territories (UTs) while new recruits of these services will be allocated the AGMUT cadre. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, the provincial service officers will continue serving in their current positions till a new order is issued by the Lt Governor for the two new UTs of J-K and Ladakh.

"In future, the All India Service officers to be posted to Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir or Union territory of Ladakh, as the case may be, shall be borne on the Arunachal Goa Mizoram Union Territory cadre, and necessary modifications in corresponding cadre allocations rules may be made accordingly, by the central government," according to the Bill introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha on Monday. The Bill provides for creation of two UTs-- J-K and Ladakh.

The Arunachal Goa Mizoram Union Territtory is popularly known as the AGMUT cadre. The Bill added that the cadres of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) for the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir, on and from the appointed day, shall continue to function on the existing cadres.

The Lt Governor, the Bill said, will decide about the provisional strength, composition and allocation of officers once the two new UTs are formed and notified. Talking about these provisions for "other services", the Bill said "every person who immediately before the appointed day is serving on substantive basis in connection with the affairs of the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir shall, on and from that day provisionally continue to serve in connection with the affairs of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union territory of Ladakh, by general or special order of the Lieutenant Governor of Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir."

It added that state government employees will be able to "seek option" to serve in either of the two UTs of J-K and Ladakh and this transfer will be "determined" by the Lt Governor. The Bill added that the "Central government shall have the power to review any of its orders issued under this section."

It also talked about the future of the public service commission that will function in the two UTS and recruit provincial service officials for the government. "The Public Service Commission for the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir shall, on and from the appointed day, be the Public Service Commission for the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir."

"The Union Public Service Commission, with the approval of the President, shall serve the needs of the Union Territory of Ladakh." The government on Monday revoked some provisions of the Article 370 to take away Jammu and Kashmir's special status, and proposed bifurcation of the state into two UTs-- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)