Jottings stringent impact! Fraudulent Promotion Unmasked: SDD Recovers Illegally Drawn Pay, but Spares Conspirators

Department Initiates Recovery After Media Exposure, Declares PA Appointment Void.

Victimized Junior Stenographers Retire Stagnant Amid Years of Injustice.

Conspirators in Power Remain Untouched, Raising Questions of Accountability.

The power of the media as a watchdog lies in its ability to hold those in authority accountable by investigating and reporting wrongdoing, thereby ensuring transparency and fostering informed public debate.

RC Sharma Chanakya

Jammu, Aug 04: In a significant but selective action, the Department of Technical Education (Skill Development), J&K, has initiated recovery proceedings against an employee who was the beneficiary of illegal appointment and fraudulent promotions, following years of investigative reporting by The Daily Jammu Jottings. However, the conspirators who enabled the scam remain untouched, sparking widespread dismay and raising serious questions about systemic accountability.

The saga began in 1993, when Rabia Rasool was illegally appointed as a Workshop Attendant vide Order No. 03 of 1993 by the then Deputy Director, Kashmir, without observing codal formalities, and in the absence of a sanctioned post. Furthermore, it was deliberately concealed that she was already working as a daily wager at the time — a clear act of procedural fraud.

The misconduct deepened when, on January 3, 2000, she was promoted as Junior Grade Instructor (Stenography) in violation of recruitment norms. This post requires three years of substantive service as Workshop Attendant, which she had not completed. Then, in September 2007, she was unlawfully appointed as Personal Assistant (Senior Stenographer) to the Director Technical Education, vide Speaking Order No. 744 of 2007, bypassing the feeder cadre system and ignoring eligibility criteria — the post requires a Bachelor’s degree and ITI in Stenography, whereas Rabia only possessed Matriculation with ITI.

Reacting to a series of exposés published by The Daily Jammu Jottings beginning in September 2021, the department constituted a four-member enquiry committee (comprising the AO, AAO, JD Jammu, and JD Kashmir) under Order No. 501 dated 13-10-2022. Acting upon the committee’s report, the Director finally issued Order No. 166 of 2024 (dated 09-05-2024), declaring the 2007 PA promotion void, and directing JD Kashmir to restore her seniority within the Junior Instructor cadre.

To recover the undue emoluments drawn over 17 years as PA, the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) of ITI Srinagar has initiated monthly deductions of ₹37,000 from her salary, to be continued for 42 installments.

Yet, justice remains incomplete. The fraudulent promotion had devastating consequences for five Junior Stenographers who belonged to the legitimate feeder cadre and were eligible for promotion. Denied their rightful progression, they ultimately retired without promotion, victims of administrative manipulation and neglect.

Even more disturbing is the department’s silence on the culpability of senior officers and officials who orchestrated and approved these unlawful appointments. Their inaction not only violated established service rules but also inflicted heavy losses on the state exchequer. The failure to initiate disciplinary or legal proceedings against them reflects an alarming culture of impunity.

This case once again demonstrates the critical role of media as a watchdog of democracy. The sustained coverage by The Daily Jammu Jottings was instrumental in exposing a long-running injustice — but the fight for full accountability is far from over. If the system is to be trusted, justice must be even-handed, sparing no one, regardless of rank or power.