Finance
Omar questions sudden reversal of PAO system, asks center to take a ‘long, hard look’
Srinagar: Asking for Union government intervention, opposition leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday took a jibe at ruling dispensation for putting on hold Pays and Accounts Office (PAO) System.
In his remark on social networking site Twitter, Omar wrote: “For 3 years the J&K legislature was told that this reform would be a major step towards transparent use of funds. A measure approved by legislative vote has been overturned by a mere government order”.
@PMOIndia & @FinMinIndia need to take a long, hard look at the reasons behind the sudden & arbitary reversal of the PAO system that had been introduced in J&K.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 14, 2018
After holding the additional charge of the Finance Ministry, Altaf Bukhari on Tuesday ordered the deferment of Pays and Accounts Office (PAO) System till March 2018, citing technical difficulties and inconvenience to the public.
The order reads that “we may keep in abeyance the implementation of PAO System till March 31, 2018, in the first place.”
Education Minister Altaf Bukhari was given additional charge of Finance, Labour and Employment departments. The additional responsibility for Altaf Bukhari comes after Haseeb Drabu, the ex Finance Minister was removed from the cabinet of the Chief Minster, Mehbooba Mufti.
“In pursuance of Rule 5 of the Jarnmu and Kashmir Government Business Rules and as an interim measure, I, Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Minister, Jammu and Kashmir, do hereby assign the charge of the Departments of Finance, Labour & Employment to Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari in addition to the Government Business already assigned to him,” the government order read.
ALSO READ: Drabu’s statement ‘Kashmir not a political problem’ creates a storm: Who said what
The ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, had decided to remove Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu from the cabinet over his remarks that ‘Kashmir is not a political problem’, which created a storm.
The Greater Kashmir reported that the ruling party had written a letter to Governor NN Vohra in this regard.
Drabu’s statement which created a political storm, and finally lead to his removal from the cabinet, was widely condemned by the political parties as well as the resistance camp.
ALSO READ: Governor Vohra approves Finance Minister Drabu’s removal
Speaking at an event themed ‘Kashmir: the way forward’, Drabu asked the people to “introspect” over the nature and origins of the situation in the state and how it can be resolved. “We need to talk to ourselves before we talk to others and this must happen nationally as well,” he said.
