Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 24: Fearing that State High Court may pass some stern orders over lackadaisical approach of the departments in handling pending departmental enquiries, the General Administration Department has fixed deadlines for completion of probes with the warning that it would be constrained to apprise the High Court about the defaulting departments in case of further non-compliance to the directives.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Secretary, General Administration Department has directed the concerned officers of 19 departments to furnish the status report of the cases pending with them within the deadlines fixed for the same otherwise the Department would be constrained to inform the High Court about the defaulting departments.
He has further directed these departments to maintain a register for keeping note of the updated status of each pending case of inquiry. “Nodal Officers should be designated in each department for dealing with the pending enquiries so that the same are followed regularly and brought to the conclusion”, sources informed.
Expressing serious concern over the issuance of speaking orders by different departments wherein on one side officers are exonerated and on the other side a warning to remain careful in future is issued or recoveries initiated, the GAD Secretary has advised all the departments to issue Government orders in consonance with the J&K Civil Services (CCA) Rules, 1956.
For seven departments like Forest, Housing and Urban Development, PHE Irrigation and Flood Control, Higher Education, Public Works (R&B), Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution and Revenue, the General Administration Department has fixed deadline of one month, sources said.
As far as Rural Development Department is concerned, the GAD, while expressing dis-satisfaction over the status report, has sought case-wise latest details and stage of inquiry in all pending cases besides the reasons for delay in concluding the cases. The Forest Department has reported that out of 11 cases, one was closed and in eight cases speaking orders are being issued shortly while as two cases are still pending disposal.
The Housing and Urban Development Department has reported that out of 11 cases, one case has been concluded and speaking order is being issued shortly while as 10 cases are still pending with the department. Similarly, in PHE I&FC Department one case has been closed and nine are still pending. The School Education Department has closed three out of 10 cases while as in two cases speaking orders are to be issued and remaining are still pending.
The Higher Education Department has reported that in one case notice has been served upon N K Resutra for imposing major penalty and four cases are still under examination. As far as Public Works (R&B) Department is concerned, the GAD has observed that out of 24 cases, nine have been closed. The replies of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution and Revenue Departments have not been found satisfactory by the GAD.
As far as prosecution sanctions are concerned, GAD has directed that efforts should be made to vacate the stay order in the cases registered by Vigilance Organization against IFS officer Farooq Ahmad Gillani and Dr Bashir Ahmad, then Veterinary Surgeon, who were involved in execution of civil works not included in the project plan and misappropriation of Government money.
In the case against Mohammad Yousaf Baba, then Manager State Cooperative Bank, Ganderbal and Others, the Cooperative Department has been asked to make effort for accord of sanction and intimate the finding within a period of 15 days. This case registered in 2001 pertains to misappropriation of funds on account of loan sanctioned against non-existent unit holders.
In a trap case registered in 2009 against Ghulam Rasool Sofi, then Ancillary Labour, the GAD has sought explanation from the General Manager Food Corporation of India for not furnishing the report till date. In a case of disproportionate assets registered against Parveen Pandoh, then Executive Engineer SIDCO Jammu, in 2010, the GAD has directed that the case shall be placed before the Chairman, who is the competent authority of SIDCO.
In the case of demand and acceptance of bribe registered in 2012, the School Education Department has been directed to issue order of termination of the accused official. In a misappropriation case registered in 2012 against Suresh Kumar Sharma, then Incharge Executive Engineer, University Works Jammu and others, it has been decided that the facts of the case will be sent to Governor as University has denied sanction in respect of its employees.
In yet another misappropriation case against Sheikh Saleem, the then Lecturer in Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIT Srinagar registered in 2005, it has been decided that Director NIT will be called after opening of Darbar at Srinagar to seek explanation for delay.
As far as case of disproportionate assets against former Minister and MLA Jagjeevan Lal is concerned, it has been observed by the GAD that the case was submitted for orders to the Governor on March 13, 2015 after receiving clarifications from the Vigilance Organization.
“The official record pertaining to the prosecution sanction of the erring officers clearly indicates that the matter is being delayed for years together without any justification”, sources remarked.
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