Cannot some politicians stop unduly interfering in the affairs of the GovernmentDepartments and even professional colleges and institutions in matters of providing jobs, that too disregarding set rules procedures ? Cannot a few of such elected representatives allow, encourage , promote and vouch for total transparency and fair dealing in matters of engaging people for livelihood and providing jobs and instead get their blue eyed and favourite ones engaged on their recommendations ? If it was not going on unabated right from the year 2010 to 2018 in the Government Polytechnics and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Jammu and Kashmir, why spate of complaints of fraudulent and illegal practices in appointments etc were received from the public by the then State Governor in the year 2019 pertaining to not only the ITIs, Polytechnic institutes but in respect of different departments , Autonomous Bodies, Corporations, and other organisations in the erstwhile state ? The Governor’sadministration decided to constitute a Fact Finding Committee to which these complaints were referred to as ”points of reference” particularly in matters of fraudulent appointments in the Technical Education Department , now known as Skill Development Department . Since the said Committee had members on it from various departments holding individual positions of Secretary or Commissioner and thus was expected to go into the basics of the issues raised, identify those responsible for fraudulent appointments and other irregularities with intent to see how and in which manner undue benefits were showered on their favourites . The Committee had to submit the report by the mid June 2019 but whyit failed to submit the report by that time is not known. The Government, however, eager to have things unravelled as early as possible, reconstituted the Committee to submit its report by the end of February 2021. The Fact Finding Committee has, in its report, found out that not in tens but in hundreds , persons were engaged in the Government Polytechnics and Industrial Training Institutes during the period of reference without caring for any Rules and regulations or any considerations of probity . Not only that,majority of them were engaged only on the recommendations of some politicians who wielded political influence as being at the helm of affairs during those eight long years. Can local funds kept at the disposal of Principals of such professionalinstitutes be utilized for payment of wages and salaries and not for meeting sundry expenses on day to day basis or for purchasing equipment etc in emergency cases ? Obviously not, but in Government Polytechnics and ITIs, such funds too were utilized for engagement of ”need based” workers. It is surprising that such a blatant breach of Financial Code was not detected by the auditors or perhaps, audit was never conducted or if conducted , the report was not attended to, not to speak of irregularities set right. The report that even Chief Executive Officer of the Skill Development Mission was appointed without proper procedure who was later removed only at the instance of and direction from the then Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, is symbolic of the mess prevailing in appointments . The Government must now assert to take the fraudulent practices very seriously and initiate action against the ones responsible even if having been political bigwigs or else, people would lose confidence in the system and feel always apprehensive in such matters even if the position being on the obverse and normal.
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