Many steps taken since 2019 to ensure transparency
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 11: More than 2.12 lakh works were taken up on nomination and single tender basis in Jammu and Kashmir during the period between 2010 and 2019 when J&K was converted into Union Territory and Rural Development and Jal Shakti Departments are on the top of the list for violating the rules and laid down guidelines. However, this information as well as data regarding backdoor appointments is yet to be provided by most of the Autonomous Bodies even after repeated instructions in this regard from the Government.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in compliance to the directions issued by the Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta from time to time, many departments have submitted information vis-à-vis backdoor appointments made and nomination based projects executed between 2010 and 2019 and the same came up for discussion in a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary few days back.
As per the data, majority of the violations of rules and laid down guidelines were committed in Rural Development Department and Jal Shakti Department. The Rural Development Department has indicated that around 1.24 lakh works were taken up on nomination/single tender basis during the period. Similarly, around 86000 projects were executed on nomination/single tender basis in Jal Shakti Department. The overall figure in respect of majority of the departments is around 2,12,641.
“As there are still some departments which have not shown compliance of the repeated instructions, the Chief Secretary has directed their Administrative Secretaries to submit information within a week”, sources informed. Moreover, most of the Autonomous Bodies have not submitted the required information and they have been directed to submit the same by November 15.
The Chief Secretary has observed that tendering was compulsory earlier also and the rules were substantively similar even before transition to the Union Territory and it was the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure strict compliance of the same, sources said, adding “the Chief Secretary has explicitly told all the Administrative Secretaries to ensure adherence to the rules and take every possible step to prevent any such recurrence of non-adherence of basic rules in the future”.
The instructions regarding submission of information about backdoor appointments and nomination based projects post 2010 and pre 2019 were first issued by the Chief Secretary on May 17, 2023 and one month time-frame was fixed for all the departments. However, the time-frame was extended several times due to non-compliance of directions and now finally majority of the departments have shared the information with the office of the Chief Secretary.
“Ever since the creation of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir the administration has taken several steps to prevent such illegalities and at present no project is taken up without Administrative Approval and Technical Sanction for which the authorities have been designated department wise”, sources said.
As far as backdoor appointments are concerned, sources informed that majority of illegalities were committed in the Urban Local Bodies which fall under the administrative control of Housing and Urban Development Department, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council Secretariats.
As already reported by EXCELSIOR, majority of the appointments in the Legislative Assembly Secretariat and in the erstwhile Legislative Council were made on the directions of respective Speakers of Assembly and Chairmen of the Council that too without following due procedure.
No doubt Speakers and Chairmen were competent to make appointments as per the rules but transparent procedure was required to be followed to give chance of appointment to all the eligible candidates as per the provisions of the Constitution.
“Since 2019 many initiatives have been taken to ensure appointments in most transparent manner and the same has resulted into less litigations vis-à-vis recruitment process”, sources said.
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