Showering Favours

Machinating re-employments and extensions!

With the advent of coalition politics in Jammu and Kashmir, administration and organizational structure got rather disarrayed. Political leadership reluctantly compromised with situation of fading territory just to safeguard their political constituencies and distinctiveness. Causatively, within the administration many influential lobbies having vested interests, flourished within the shady coalitionist System. Beyond areas of common interest these groups nurtured a sordid but vastly rewarding desire of unjustified re-employments and extensions in their employment after officially recognized retirement. T his cartel of ‘extensions’ has spread its tentacle far and wide. Shockingly! At present every privileged retiring officer/official starts lobbying for extension more than a year prior to his date of retirement. Of late, within the administration this ‘extension’ mania is getting almost everyone under its grip. In a civilized democracy based on values and set rules such delusions cannot be allowed to thrive unabated. These muddy extensions blemish the fundamentals of democracy—equality and fairness. We cannot, and genuinely should not blame any particular government, politician or political entity for this ‘extension’ mess but instead fault lies with fallout of existing political arrangements in Jammu and Kashmir; prevalent for last more than one decade. However, on moral grounds and amid administrative obligations no ruler or government can be absolved of their constitutional responsibility to check favoritism in the garb of fraudulent ‘extensions’. In the middle of current intense retirement age debate and backdrop of ever increasing unemployment no government or leadership can afford to patronize extension or re-employment of government officers. Still, certain over ambitious officers, much closer to the corridors of power, manipulate and evade rules to manage extension in their service period. By resorting to practice of circumventing rules and all other covert means these rogue elements inside the system are doing harm not only to the administrative composition of the state but harming the social fabric as well. What makes someone to hunger for extension in service tenure against existing rules and wishes of one and all? Obviously, it’s not the honest urge to serve the nation, but only never-ending lust for power and hunger for money that lures people to menace of extensions and re-employments. Frankly, these extensions or re-employments are noways in the interest of public and administration, instead it serves the only purpose; that of growing corruption and patronizing favoritism. I once again reaffirm, that no single government or political dispensation can be blamed of encouraging service extensions and re-employments. Governments in the past and administration at present, most often against their better judgment and in duress have obliged unprincipled extension seekers and the murky practice is going on unchecked. Lack of unified political command under unpleasant coalition dharma facilitates disingenuous extension deals and murky re-employments; ultimately culminating into monstrous bribery and ugly partiality. Many elements in the corridors of power generate rosy profiles of extension seekers against hefty considerations and reciprocating favors. Most of these insubstantial profiles laden with selective political favors are not only deceptive but bluff. Most of the time decision makers get swayed in this atmosphere of bragging. Present younger leadership has to be upfront and should deal with these unscrupulous elements of deceit, lust and corruption with iron hand. In the first instance government should come out with a strong policy of no extensions and no re-employments at any cost and consequence. By getting swayed under the influence of few, image and credibility of the government and its leadership gets stained. Present leadership should earnestly introspect; take its political partners on board on this vital issue of indecent favoritism and atrocious corruption. Government at an earliest should place a strong cap on floodgate of extensions and re-employments and check the menace of favoritism appropriately.

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