Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar today said the revival of defunct institutions and restoration of administrative discipline is among the major achievements of PDP- BJP Coalition Government in the State.
“Our Govt inherited an administrative system which was in total disarray with important institutions having been rendered defunct over the past six years,” Akhtar told Doordarshan in an interview. He said the present Government also inherited a huge liability of Rs 10,000 crore. “The government handled the challenge well and to a large extent achieved success in bringing the system back on track,” he said.
Naeem said due to the rampant misgovernance and malfunctioning of the administration during the past six years, the system was fraught with corruption, indiscipline in recruitments and defunct institutions. “In the first instance the new coalition led by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took up the challenge to set the system right, restore the accountability and discipline in the administration,” he said.
He said the revival of the institutions like PSC and SSB by appointing record nine and twenty members respectively was a major milestone in the direction to ensure fair recruitment, which was earlier missing. He said introduction of written test for gazetted posts was another major step, which would provide a level playing field for all and end nepotism in the recruitments.
“The recruitment was main area where corruption and nepotism was rampant and by restoring the crucial institutions such practices were brought to end,” he added.
The Minister said that the government has also decided to conduct written test for recruitment of teachers to check the entry of people with degrees secured from Tuck Shops and fake universities.
Referring to the indiscipline in the development sector, he said no rules and norms were followed in the allotment of works by the previous regime and in a single division headed by an executive engineer over Rs 100 crore liability had been created. “To end this, the Government decided to go for e-tendering for all works be it Rs 50000 or Rs 1 lakh and even JKPCC – a state government undertaking is being brought under the ambit of e-tendering”. He said these reforms were definitely going to bring a discernible change.
On infrastructure development, Naeem said the government has decided to create durable assets by making the contractors accountable for maintenance for the next three years. Listing the decisions taken in this direction, he cited the new specifications set for blacktopping adding that this would prolong the life of the roads up to next 20 years.
On reforms in education sector, the Minister said the stage is set for adding quality to education and introduce courses having market demand. “Instead of producing educated unemployed, the thrust is being laid on producing capable and empowered graduates,” he said adding; “The upcoming Cluster Universities will provide opportunity for integrated courses from undergraduate to research level”.
The aim is to make these universities round the clock hubs of educational activities with variety of multi-shift courses. “This will increase the intake capacity and lead to social intervention when thousands of students would partake in these educational activities”.
On Skill Development Mission, he said the move is aimed to revive the traditional craft which has centuries old recognition across the world. “The state has huge creative tradition which is to be revived. There is need for repackaging of the modern skills to meet the demand of huge works at hand under flood reconstruction programme”.
The Minister also spoke at length on the PP Mode in development sector recently approved by the state cabinet and host of other issues.
