Jammu, Feb 16: Jammu and Kashmir Government for the first time has started field training programme for probationer Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officers on the pattern of Indian Administrative Services (IAS).
 Official sources said that unlike in past, the KAS officers in the State, who qualify the civil services examination, would be directly appointed into Junior Scale Cadre and all of them will have to serve in various government departments on rotational basis.
 Earlier, the departments were allotted to the civil service qualifiers and only 20 top candidates were inducted into junior scale.
 “For the first time all 200 KAS officers of 2009-10 were allotted Junior Scale instead of allotting them departments. Earlier it would take many years for officers to get KAS scale”, they said.
 In an attempt to bring further reformation in the administrative sector, the Government has now started the field training of the probationary officers for fifteen months.
 A batch of 40 officers has been deputed to the Revenue department for a period of three months. “These officers are divided in five groups comprising of 40 officers each and will be sent to Revenue Department, Finance Department, General Administration Department, Rural Development Department, and Social Welfare Department on rotation basis”, officials said.
 During their posting, the probationers shall discharge all the functions attached to the post. On completion of stipulated period of three months, the concerned Administrative Secretaries shall issue a performance certificate to these probationers. The performance certificate, sources said, will be part of the service record of the probationers and will determine future postings.
 Sources further added that it was proposed that Junior Scale KAS officers would be given independent charges and posted across the state. “However, the government felt that 200 posts cannot be kept at the discretion of probationary officers and instead it was decided that some of the officers would be attached with the officers in field”.
 Secretary to Government GAD Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmed said that earlier also the KAS officers were being given field training for some days. “But this time the State Government has introduced three months training concept on the IAS pattern besides allotting them Junior Scale instead of departments.
 In this way, he said these Junior Scale KAS officers could be sent to any department as per need. Also after completion of probation, the seniority would be conferred on them on the basis of their merit and performance in field training.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 IST