Exposure!
- A white lie on white paper, though they sweep under carpet
- Investigation full of dents, doubts, camouflage to cover the truth.
jj correspondent
Jammu, Feb 22: The malpractices and discrepancies have become the routine affairs of the Skill Development Department let it be year 1991 or year 2023, the mission and agenda is same may be persons got changed time to time.
On 10-07-91 Director Technical Education (SDD) vide his office no. DTE/ Estt/1735 sends a letter to Deputy Director, Technical Education, Kashmir to engage one Rabia Rasool against a migrant vacancy caused by the migration of the Kashmiri Pandits Govt. Employees. In response to this letter the Deputy Director, Technical Education, vide his order no. 64 of 1991 dated16-07-91 engaged Rabia Rasool
D/O Gh Rasool R/O Parimpora Srinagar as Workshop Attendant in the pay scale of 745-1075 against the migrant vacancy of Lajwanti, Workshop Attendant, at ITI Pulwama for the period till the migrant re-joins, vide endorsement no. DDK/Estt/581-87 dated 16-07-91. The copy of this order is sent to Director for confirmation. But on 22-07-91 Deputy Director, Kashmir issues corrigendum vide no. DDK/ 635-37 dated 22-07-91 to the effect that, “read adjustment of Rabia Rasool D/O Gh. Rasool as Orderly in the grade of 630-940 against post of Workshop Attendant instead of Workshop Attendant made vide this office order no. 64 of 1991 dated 16-07-91. The copy of this order is sent to Director. The insider from ITI Pulwama confirms that the appointment as the records show that pay was drawn in favour of the incumbent as per records available. The relevant documents were collected by the Joint Director, Kashmir (then), GM Bhat being head of 4-member Committee constituted with regard to the matter in October, 2022.
A letter by Director Technical Education vide his office No DTE/Estt/46-A/1420, dated 21-10-94, under subject,” Irregular adjustment of Workshop Attendant in ITI, Budgam,” opens a new chapter of irregularity, regarding the case. The letter reads as, ” With reference to your letter No. DDK/Estt/per/1358, dated 08-10-94, it is pointed out that continuance of irregular arrangement as admitted by you also has compelled the Daily Wagers having superior claims to represent the Chief Secretary, J&K Govt. for passing orders to this Directorate to reverse the arrangement…solution is supposed to be sought out at the level where the irregularity has been committed.” It culminates on the fact that Rabia Rasool worked as Daily Wager and no action was taken for the irregularity though there were clear directions from an officer not less than Chief Secretary.
Later on 15-07-2008 the incumbent is shown as Vocational Instructor on S. No.107 in the seniority list with PUC and ITI pass in Stenography, promoted from the post of Workshop Attendant when she didn’t work on substantive post of Workshop Attendant as is required under recruitment rules and her appointment was illegal and irregular as is clear by the Director Technical Education letter no. DTE/Estt/46-A/1420 dated 21-10-94 written to Deputy Director Technical Education, Kashmir. Further how and when she acquired the requisite qualifications when she was drawing salary from the govt. treasury.
When on 04 of 2008 Rabia Rasool figures at S. No. 72 in the list of Sr Stenographers to be promoted as PAs, the genuine prospective candidates get alarmed and again approached higher officers with the plea that instead of reverting back from the post of Workshop Attendant, as being it an irregularity, the incumbent was secretly promoted to the post of Sr Stenographer and was given all the monetary benefits attached to the post, without having the requisite qualifications as per recruitment rules of the post, then Adm. Department, at Secretariat issues a letter to Director, Technical Education, under No. Edu/Tech/ITI/ 51/2008, under subject, “Adjustment of Rabia Rasool, VI, as PA to Director to furnish the personal file and service book of the incumbent to facilitate further action in the matter. Then on 17-09-2008 under No GAD/Estt/3/7-11 GAD (Establishment) Civil Secretariat, Sgr. writes to the Director, Technical Education to furnish a factual report in the matter and to explain the change of cadre as the Director is not competent to make such a change.
Knowingly and deliberately the whole matter from appointment to Promotion to V I to PA was hushed up for 32 years, and the incumbent was posted at the Directorate, never given the task of teaching the trainees at any ITI as the post as per its nomenclature is meant for, draining out the money from govt. treasury and creating the concept of hegemony of bureaucracy, violating rules, spoiling the service career of deserving, tarnishing the work culture, humiliating the seniors, disrespecting the subordination, encouraging shortcuts and humiliating the diligent, mocking at rule of law and what not, the matter was finally highlighted a number of times by Jammu Jottings news paper at Jammu and after hard efforts it succeeded on October 13, 2022 when Rabia Rasool was transferred from the office of Directorate to Govt. ITI Sgr. Vide order No. 500 dated 13-10-2022. Her pay was withheld and a Committee of 4-members: AO, AAO, JD Jammu and JD Kashmir was constituted to investigate the allegations levelled against the incumbent in the daily paper and also some points raised by the Audit Committee on a routine yearly inspection in the Directorate regarding her Service book. It was disclosed by a source, as the order was in no way made public. The Committee was to submit the report within 15 days but they did not for four months as the influential, blue-eyed official had already developed close affinity with the Committee members.
Finally, the source revealed that the pay of incumbent is released now after four months against the post not known as the final report was in no way made public, not even shared with the office of Jammu Jottings on its constitutionally guaranteed role in the matter. The Director was gracious enough to constitute the Committee to address the grievances. However, certain questions need to be answered, though after buying a good spell of time by the Directorate to address the grievances raised in the newspaper. Instead, they have invited the incumbent herself to be part of gathering to enjoy upon the so called victory at the Directorate at Srinagar on 23-02-23 including all the officers but it can’t blot out the error. In light of the above given facts collected from the official documents itself the appointment of the incumbent was an irregularity admitted in black and white by the department. She was not undisputedly on the post of Workshop Attendant for 3 years as required for promotion to Vocational Instructor and there is discrepancy in her qualifications and appointment. Her service book shows her initial appointment in 1993 when credible records show that she was appointed in 07-1991. Change of cadre from VI to PA is totally illegal, so what penalty is recommended to the all concerned involved in the commission of crime. If the record prior to 1993 regarding her Service as being engaged on migrant post, her tenure at ITI Pulwama, at Budgam and Charisharief in the department by the Joint Director, Kashmir, as head of Committee, was collected from different offices, was that reflected in the report and what were the recommendations regarding.
If Jammu Jottings brought to fore involvement of the incumbent in a corruption case of appointment of her house-maid in the ITI while she was working at her home and wages were drawn from state exchequer and if it was reported that the incumbent played a fraud by showing a fake Institute housed in her residential accommodation at HMT Zainakote, Srinagar, viz. Hannan Institute of Technology, in the name of her son and creating an Account No CD 23 in the JK Moving Secretariat in the name of her family member and drawing14 lakh rupees under SDI scheme illegally, what stand the Enquiry Committee takes on the issue and why it is not made public?
