| "Differences" between Omar, Akbar Lone come to fore | | Appointed by Lone, RUSA Mission director replaced within one month | | Akshay Azad
JAMMU, Aug 1: Alleged differences between Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Higher Education Minister Akbar Lone have come to fore as within a month of the appointment of the Mission Director to Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) by the Minister, the official has been replaced reportedly on the CM's instructions.
Sources informed Early Times that on 3rd of July last, Secretary to Higher Education Department Sheikh Mustaq Ahmed was given the additional charge of Mission Director RUSA but today, as per the Government order No 830-GAD of 2014, he has been relieved from the additional charge of RUSA Mission Director and Jahangir Mir, under orders of transfer as Director Social Welfare Kashmir, has been posted as Mission Director.
Sources said RUSA's mission director has been replaced allegedly on the instructions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, following the alleged difference of opinion on a proposal, which was forwarded by the Mission Director, in the second meeting of State Higher Education Council (SHEC) held on July 23, 2014, which was also attended by Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone.
Sources claimed that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was the chairman of SHEC, while Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone was vice-chairman. "The financial powers in SHEC are with Chairman but on the instructions of higher ups, the Mission Director RUSA, Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmed allegedly tabled a proposal to give financial powers to the vice-chairman", sources alleged.
Sources alleged that Mission Directorate had also engaged a consultant Fayaz Ahmed on its own, while for engagement of another consultant, a proposal was sent to General Administrative Department (GAD).
"CM was also irked over the RUSA Mission Directorate's move to engage a consultant without forwarding the proposal to GAD", sources claimed.
Sources said it was also reported that Sheikh Mustaq Ahmed, who was scheduled to be retired in December 2014, had been trying hard to retain the post of Mission Director, so that he would enjoy benefits of Government job even after his retirement but that would not happen now due to his replacement allegedly on CM's directive.
Pertinently, for the expansion of Higher Education in the state and to allocate funds under RUSA, the Government had constituted J&K State Higher Education Council, which is headed by CM as Chairman and Minister for Higher Education as the Vice-Chairman. The Council comprises of 21 members, including Chief Secretary and Administrative Secretaries of Finance, Planning and Development Department while the Mission Directorate was headed by Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmed since July 3, 2014. |
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