Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Nov 15: Taking serious cognizance of alleged irresponsible conduct of Deputy Commissioner Ramban in a case concerning the inclusion of certain pockets in the list of backward areas, the State Commission for Backward Classes (SCBC) today issued bailable warrants against the District Magistrate.
According to the official sources, the Commission has issued bailable warrants against Tariq Ahmad Ganai, Deputy Commissioner, Ramban and directed the SSP, Ramban to execute the warrants and produce the officer before the Commission in its office at Jammu on December 6, 2017.
The warrant was issued after the Deputy Commissioner allegedly didn’t respond to the repeated formal communications for the last few months and then summon to him for personally appearing before the Commission by October 26, sources added.
The Commission had sought detailed information in respect of nine villages of Ramban, namely Bandera, Dhar-shibgarh, Sana, Chilla, Sanasar, Thopal, Barthal, Digdool and Sencha from the Deputy Commissioner, in view of several representations from the poor villagers of these inaccessible and remote pockets for inclusion in the list of backward areas as these were not adequately represented in services under the State Government or any authority within the territorial jurisdiction of the State.
For the purpose, the Commission had also deputed a special team to Ramban a few months back. Thereafter, the officials of the Revenue Department compiled the information and furnished the same to the Deputy Commissioner, Ramban for authentication and onwards submission to the Commission. The Deputy Commissioner, however, did not respond and continued to defy Commission’s several notices and summons till day, sources said.
Taking a serious view of the alleged irresponsible conduct of the officer, the Commission in today’s proceeding issued bailable warrants against the DC and directed the SSP Ramban Mohan Lal to execute the warrants and produce Tariq Ahmad Ganai, before the Commission in its office located at 36-CC Gandhi Nagar, Jammu on 6th December, 2017 at 11.00 AM, sources said.
The Commission has further directed that in case DC Ramban furnishes bail bond of Rs 5000/- with the condition that he will appear before the Commission on specified date, he may not be arrested.
Pertinent to mention here that the Commission has received more than 900 representations from people of remote pockets of the State for inclusion of their respective hamlets in the lists of backward areas, as notified by the State Government.
In response to such representations, the Commission conducts summary verification of such areas and then writes to the concerned Deputy Commissioner, who sends his report on summary findings. After the Commission’s endorsement, this report is then forwarded to the State Government for a Cabinet nod and then issuance of order on inclusion of those identified pockets into the official list of backward areas.
Sources said that the representations to the Commission from these nine villages of Ramban district were received seven years back following which a team of the Commission had taken summary view of these areas in 2012 and then wrote to the concerned Deputy Commissioner for verification of the same.
However, in 2013, the Commission turned headless and virtually defunct with the result that no further action was initiated in this regard for more than three years till Jeet Lal Gupta took over as its Chairman a few months back.
Taking up the matter again, sources said that the Commission once again sent its fact finding teams along with concerned Revenue officials to the areas and a detailed report was compiled around four months back. Since then, sources said, the said report has been lying with the office of the Deputy Commissioner for his perusal and necessary action but there was no response from the officer till date.
However, on the other hand, more than 70 such reports from different districts have been forwarded by the concerned Deputy Commissioners to the Commission for Backward Classes for further action, sources said.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel