Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 5: Contrary to the claims of Mufti Sayeed led Coalition Government of providing clean, transparent and responsive administration, several Rural Development Department officers facing charges in the infamous Rural Electrification scam worth over Rs 10 crores, are enjoying plum postings and not only this, many non-cadre officers have recently been placed against the KAS cadre posts as ACDs and Project Officers in the department.
Sources in the RDD disclosed that over a dozen officers, then working as BDOs (now ACDs/ POs) are facing Vigilance cases in the Rural Electrification scam. The Vigilance Organization has proved the cases and even the names of some of the officers have been recommended for the prosecution sanction. But despite this, several officers have been placed as Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) at important places/ Project Officers. The orders were issued in second and third week of last month and one of them was issued vide No. 119-RD&PR of 2015, dated 17-4-2015.
Record secured from the State Vigilance Organization revealed that under FIR No. 19/ 2005/VOK 14 officials of the RDD besides a Treasury Officer and an Executive Engineer were booked in the electrification scandal in district Baramulla. The name of the then Treasury Officer Ali Mohd Ganai was at the top. Ali Mohd Rahi, the then BDO Rafiabad, Hakim Tanveer the then BDO Sopore, Nazir Ahmed Lone the then BDO Rafiabad, Ali Mohd Dar the then BDO Boniyar, Mir Munawar the then BDO Pattan, Showkat Ahmed the then BDO Tangmarg, Fayaz Ahmed the then BDO Kunzar, Bashir Ahmed Hakeem the then BDO Baramulla, Mushtaq Ahmed Beg the then BDO Wagpora, Shafiq Hussain the then BDO Bandipore besides, a Branch Manager J Raman Hegde of Vijaya Bank Baramulla were booked in the scandal worth crores.
Not only this, 11 RDD officials including an Executive Engineer and several BDOs in Anantnag district were booked under FIR No. 18/2005. The names of the then BDOs Abdul Hamid Wani, Zafar Altaf , Mohd Yousuf, Mohd Jahangir and Xen Sayed Riaz existed in the case FIR. The cases against some officials stood proven and the Organization sent their names for the prosecution sanctions. Interestingly, about eight officers whose names figure in the multi-crore scandal involving public money worth over Rs 10 crore have been placed at important places and they are allowed to enjoy plum postings. About half a dozen of them have been working against the KAS cadre posts as Project Officers and ACDs. Even some more non-cadre officers of the department have been placed against the cadre posts.
The names of officers Fayaz Ahmed, Ab Hamid Wani, Nazir Ahmed, Mir Munawar, Mohd Yousuf exist in one of the lists which was released on 17-4-2015 by the Administrative Department of the RDD. The officers including Bashir Ahmed Hajam, Gul Hussain, Tariq Suharwardy, Mir Munawar and others have been placed against cadre posts.
Director Rural Development, Kashmir Tasaduq Geelani when contacted said that he has recently taken over the charge as Director Kashmir but maintained that against the cadre posts, non-cadre officers can not be placed. He said that if something has happened by mistake, it can be corrected. When asked why officers facing serious corruption charges and booked by Vigilance Organization were placed at important positions, he said normally, it does not happen. The department can go for review if some people have figured in the list. But at the same time Geelani said cadre management is the responsibility of the GAD. Commissioner/ Secretary GAD Mr Bukhari and other officials should monitor these things.
Director RDD Jammu, Ghulam Nabi Balwan when contacted also said that against cadre posts only officers of the same cadre are posted. He said the orders were issued by the Administrative department in this regard. Moreover, they had no direct role in it. Replying to another question regarding placing of tainted officers at plum positions, Balwan said he was not aware of it.
Minister for Rural Development Abdul Haq Khan, however, claimed that RDD is facing shortage of officers. Khan said he had requested the GAD to allow them to place non-cadre officers against the KAS cadre posts and some non-cadre officials were posted recently to ensure better functioning of the department. He claimed as and when new KAS officers are made available to the department, these non-cadre officers will be recalled.
Replying to another question, the Minister said that he believes in taking work from the officers even if they are `big thief’. “You have two options, either you place them under suspension and continuing paying hefty pays without work or take work from them and not allow them any more chance to commit another scandal. There may be some Vigilance cases against them, but we have posted them at some places to fill up vacant posts. But at the same time they will be under scanner. If they repeat their old habit, they will not be tolerated. We will take harsh action and terminate them. Till prosecution sanction is received against them in old cases, we will take work from them as they are getting hefty amount of Rs 70,000 to 80,000 as salary per month,” Mr Khan maintained.
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