news details |
|
|
| New minister silent on old promotion scam in Agri Deptt | | | Akshay Azad
ET Report
Jammu, April 10: A major promotion scandal, which had badly paralyzed functioning of Agriculture Production Department (APD) during previous National Conference-Congress led coalition government, is yet to catch the attention of new Agriculture minister.
Ghulam Nabi Lone, the new minister, is yet to implement a slew of High Court judgments that were deliberately ignored by his predecessor Ghulam Hassan Mir.
The scandal surfaced in 2008 after some ineligible officers were promoted on ad-hoc basis, ignoring the per recruitment rules of 1988.
A government order (No. 279-Agri of 2008, dated 7/10/2008) was issued during the Governor rule in the backdrop of a court judgment passed in clubbed cases titled Karanjeet Singh and others vs State dated, 19/2/2008. The court had directed to fill all the promotional posts in Agriculture Gazetted services on substantive basis within a period of six months strictly as per recruitment rules of 1988.
According to the government order, nearly 900 promotions were effected as per recruitment rules by then Principal Secretary Sonali Kumar.
"Almost 650 promoted officers were from Jammu division while those who were enjoying lucrative posts of their choice, prior to the order, were from Kashmir division", according to some former officers.
The retired officers alleged that when Ghulam Hassan Mir took over as Agriculture Minister, "he in coalition with some ineligible officers, hatched a conspiracy to undo the government order (No. 279-Agri of 2008), and a high level inquiry was also ordered."
"The hidden agenda behind the enquiry was to prevent newly promoted officers from continuing their duties, which consequently would help the minister to earn money by continuing with ad-hoc transfers and promotion industry," they alleged.
The gazetted cadre officers who had been waiting for promotions for more than two decades, said that the order no. 279-Agri of 2008 was finally put into abeyance and status quo was enforced vide another government order (No. 14 Agri of 2010, dated 29-10-2010), in deference to interim court order.
"The era of favourtism and money minting through distribution of post/postings returned to department, as the Regional Director was authorized to make arrangements for vacant posts as per their choice and dictates of the then Agriculture Minister," they said.
The High Court in its final order maintained that government order No. 279-Agri of 2008 should remain in force "but former Agriculture Minister continued to carry out pick and choose policy in violation of High Court orders."
The officers said, "A large number of retired officers have been facing hardships and are getting pension fixed in lower grade of Class-VII. Our agony aggravated when Accountant General withheld Rs 2-3 lakh out of gratuity from almost 100 officers who retired since status quo ante has been enforced by the Department."
They said the latest High Court judgment in SWP No. 182/2014 and CMA number 214/2014 passed at Jammu on 30/1/2014 had also stated that the government order No. 279-Agri of 2008, shall remain in force, subject to the outcome of final decision to be taken by government.
"Said direction shall be implemented in letter and spirit, irrespective of government order number 14-Agri of 2010 as was issued in compliance to the interim directions. Now the writ petition stands disposed of vide judgment quoted above, therefore interim order has been ceased to be in operation," the High Court judgment reads.
The officers said that despite the High Court verdict, "Hassan Mir in collusion with Commissioner Secretary had approved directly 21 orders of promotions/transfers/adjustments, and indirectly through Director Agriculture Kashmir 371 orders, and Director Agriculture Jammu had issued 164 orders, in violation of High Court judgments of 8/4/ 2010, 29/4/2011 and 30/1/2014 respectively."
The officers have appealed new Agriculture Minister Lone to rectify the "deliberated erroneous attempts committed by his predecessor so that the eligible officers would get the promotion benefits." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
