CAT reprimands KU official for prejudiced, biased language

Excelsior Correspondent

Srinagar, Nov 14 : The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) took serious note of Kashmir University communication warning its employee not to make further representation for his regularization of services.
The Division Bench of M S Latief (J) and Prasant Kumar (A) held the communication issued by the Assistant Registrar rejecting the regularization of services of its employee with the warning him to desist from making representations in future seeking regularization of his services.
The court has held the said communication as “uncalled for” so far as it has warned the employee to desist from making any representation for regularization of his services. The court was about to proceed against the KU-officer but with the candid submission made by the varsity’s counsel that a corrigendum be issued to the said communication, the court took the lenient view against the official.
The bench while passing strictures against the incumbent Assistant Registrar said that he was within his competence to have disposed off the representation of the petitioner, however, the reference as made in the impugned communication informing the petitioner to desist from submitting further representation, was uncalled for.
The Assistant Registrar in terms of the communication addressed to the petitioner-Siraj Ahmad Bala in response to his representation with regard to the regularization of his services against the suitable post, informed him that his request is not maintainable as his plea before the High Court has already been dismissed.
“Desist from submitting further representations on the matter, failing which it will be construed that the official is resorting to practices or conduct which is likely to result in the substantial retardation of routine work in the organization”, reads the KU communication of KU.
The employee Siraj Bala had challenged the communication of Assistant Registrar through senior advocate Bashir Ahmad Bashir on the ground that the language used in the communication showed the highest prejudice and bias being harboured by the KU against him only for the reason that he had approached the court for redressal of his grievances.
The court on mentioning such words in the communication said the discipline cannot be imposed in a monarchical manner and same has to be in consonance with rules and regulations and having due regard to the constitutional safeguards.