Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 28: Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday ordered Regular Departmental Enquiry (RDA) against six officers, including two Assistant Directors, all retired officials of Industries Department.
According to documents available with Early Times, the Vigilance Organisation registered a case FIR No 5/2000 PS/VOK after verification of a written complaint lodged by the inhabitants of village Lelhar Pulwama alleging misappropriation of an amount of Rs. 2.20 lacs, drawn as subsidy, by one Ghulam Rasool Bhat, a Government employee, in connivance with the officers/officials of the Handloom Development Department.
“The Vigilance Organisation vide letter no. VO-FIR-05/2000-K-408 dated 09.01.2017 Informed that after completing the investigation of the case, a final report was produced in the Court. The Court agreed with the investigation conducted in the matter and directed for referring the matter to the concerned department for initiation of Regular Departmental Action against the delinquent officials/officers”, the documents read and added that the General Administration Department (GAD) requested for initiation of departmental action against the delinquent officers/officials of the Handloom Development Department in terms of J&K Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956. “The Director Handloom Development Department appointed Nargis Sunya, KM, Joint Director Handloom Development Department Kashmir as Inquiry Officer for conducting an enquiry into the matter”, sources said, added, “The Inquiry Officer furnished the enquiry report to Director Handloom Development Department who while forwarding the same to the Administrative Department vide communication No. DHD/Estt/2787/4115 dated 23.04.2019 read with DHD/Estt/2787/2017/4909 dated 13.03.2018 recommended acceptance of the enquiry report with modification that in view of the established negligence on part of the officers/officials, the in-service officials be reprimanded with denial of one annual increment in pay”.
Sources said that it was decided to accept the recommendation of Director Handloom Development Department. “As such, one increment due to Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, Senior Assistant, Handloom Development Department, figuring in case FIR No. 05/2000 P/S VOK, was withheld for a period of two years in terms of Rule 30 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules vide Government Order No.252-IND of 2019 dated 13.11.2019.”
“No disciplinary action was considered against the following officials, figuring in case FIR No. 05/2000 P/S VOK, who had already retired from the active service. Ghulam Qadir Hajam, Accountant cum Storekeeper (figuring at 5.no 6 of the matrix inove) and observed vide 0.M dated 22.01.2020 that in terms of Article 168-A (ii) of J&K CSR.s Vol-I, the recommended that still possible against the retired official and requested to initiate regular departmental against Hajam”, they said.
They further said that the matter has been examined further and it has been found that since the departmental proceeding is said to be initiated against the public servant with the servicing of charge-sheet, Hajam, the then Accountant-cum-Storekeeper is still liable to be proceeded on with the action (RDA) because the memorandum of articles of charge duly supported with the statement of imputation was served upon him, in the year 2017, while he was in service.
“Keeping in view the relevant details related to the case and that Ghulam Qadir Hajam, Accountant cum Storekeeper (now retired) has been found negligent in the performance of his duties by the Inquiry Officer, it has been decided to impose a minor penalty upon the official and ‘Censure’ him. Hajam, now retired, shall be deemed to have been ‘Censured’ on 30.06.2019 i.e on the day he retired on superannuation, in terms of Rule 30 (i) of the J&K Civil Services”, they said. |
