Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR Nov 1: Government today removed Tassaduq Jeelani from the post of Director Tourism Kashmir after his objectionable speeches went viral on the social media and complaints regarding his behavior during a foreign trip and misappropriation of funds.
An order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) today said: “In the interest of administration, Tassaduq Jeelani, KAS, shall, with immediate effect, cease to discharge the duties and functions attached to the post of Director Tourism, Kashmir which shall henceforth and until further orders, be discharged by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir in addition to his own duties.”
Government has also ordered that the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir shall also conduct an inquiry into the incidents reported to have occurred during the events organized by the Tourism Department under the “Kashmir Familiarization Tour” from October 25 to 27, 2018.
The inquiry, according to the order, shall be conducted within 10 days and a report submitted to GAD in this regard.
The Director during the last month’s “Kashmir Familiarization Tour” in which large number of tour operators across the country were participating, made objectionable speech in which his behavior was also not proper. The two speeches at SKICC in Srinagar and Gulmarg went viral on the social media which drew lot of criticism of the Government for appointing him as Director Tourism.
Besides as per the sources, his behavior in his recent official tour to Moscow was objectionable and embarrassing for the Indian Embassy. The Ambassador had sent a report to the Government regarding this behavior.
And instead of utilizing the JKTDC huts, the Director spent huge amounts on the accommodation of the tour operators by putting them in private hotels. The objective was to shower favours to some top hoteliers in Kashmir.
Normally hoteliers give these accommodations to the tour operators in which kind of promotional events on complimentary basis are held.
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