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| Promotion scam haunts Agriculture Deptt | | | Javaid Naikoo
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Apr 8: Despite one member inquiry committee pointing out irregularities in promotion of officers of the Agriculture Department and undue promotions causing huge loss to state exchequer the department has failed to check the irregularities and take appropriate action.
According to the details available with Early Times government had asked Samuel Vegehese, the then financial Commissioner in 2009 to examine whether promotions/releases of grade at different levels vide government order no 279 Agri of 2008 dated 07/10/2008 had been affected by following the recruitment rules of J&K agriculture gazetted service or not. Whether any senior officer has been ignored, whether general and reserved categories have received their due share, whether orders of High court have been complied with and whether state exchequer has suffered any loss.
The then financial commissioner after finding irregularities in his report mentioned that the department of Agriculture was supposed to refer the matter to Public Service Commission (PSC) before issuing orders of promotions and added that in the absence of final seniority list no determination can be made that whether seniors have been ignored and juniors promoted and proposed measures to check the irregularities, which according to sources, proved to be a useless exercise as the matter is still lingering.
After Samuel Verghese submitted his report, General Administration Department (GAD) under No Gad (SEC) genl/187/08 dated 15/03/2012 issued said:"As per the information provided by the Director Agriculture Jammu, Director Agriculture Kashmir and Director command area development Jammu, the persons who were promoted on higher posts have drawn arrears of pay amounting to over Rs 2.43 crores as a result of irregular promotions."
However GAD, according to the sources, didn't pay any heed towards the report submitted by Samuel Verghese. Pertinently according to the minutes of the DPC/PSC meeting held on 01.01.2013, copy of which is with Early Times, total sanctioned strength of AEOs (Agriculture Extension Officers) in the department was 649 and 414 officers were in position and as per government order no 14 Agri of 2005 dated 17/01/2005, 16 were on technical post and 30 were on SCA- Eng (Soil Conservation Asst. Engineering), therefore total vacancies of AEOs and equivalent as on 03/06/1988 were 189,while as on the other hand Govt order no: 10-Agri 0f 2002 dated 25/10/2002 shows that total sanctioned strength of AEOs in the department was 625 and 467 officers were in position while there were 158 vacancies on the same date 03/06/1988.
However going through the records, according to details J&K Agriculture Gazetted Service was earlier governed by a set of Recruitment Rules notified by the Government of J&K vide SRO-134 of 1978 (Rules of 1978) which provided for 100% Direct Recruitment to the entry level post through J&K Public Service Commission but on 02.06.1988 the Rules of 1978 were repealed by a new set of Recruitment Rules notified vide SRO-179 of 1988 (Rules of 1988).
Gross violation of Recruitment Rules of 1978 as well as Rules of 1988, about 200 VEWs were illegally promoted in 1985 & 1988. More importantly these promotions were made on the non-existent or non-vacant posts.
When illegal promotion of 200 VEWs as AEO's surfaced, the department then framed a fake vacancy list to overshadow the fraudulent orders.
In order to help promotees, the concerned department terminated 20 officers under Government Order no. 145/Agri of 2013 dated 05/04/2013 and also excluded 50 more officers from the Seniority list who have either left the department or expired. |
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