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| Infighting in JKAACL comes to fore | | | Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 8: Infighting has reportedly begun between the incumbent Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages (JKAACL) and some senior officials with latter appealing Governor to remove Secretary (who they called junior), while former replied with warning circular against such conduct.
According to sources the Secretary of JKAACL Dr. Aziz Hajni issued a circular number Adm/E/Cir/2015-16/9172-82, dated February 6, 2016, which reads, "As intimated by higher authorities in the administration, some of the officials of Academy are approaching higher authorities in person and through representations/complaints directly bypassing the immediate superiors in the hierarchy. The higher authorities have also taken serious note of the ongoing internal bickering and mud-slinging between senior officials by resorting to frequent RTIs, press writings against each other thereby maligning the fair image of the institution".
In the concluding paragraph, the Secretary has given explicit warning which reads, "The officials are warned to be careful, maintain discipline and decorum and do not cross limits of decency, failing which strict disciplinary action will be taken against them and also reflected in their APRs".
Terming the circular an attempt to stifle democratic process, senior officials of JKAACL pleading anonymity said, "Representations, complaints, RTIs are part of democratic process but Secretary has turned a dictator and circular is totally undemocratic. How could officials complaint to Secretary, if the complaint is against Secretary and president is the right quarter but it infuriated Secretary".
Officials pleading anonymity informed that the story begun with the appointment of Secretary Dr. Aziz Hajni, who was allegedly junior in pay-grade and in seniority to nearly a dozen officials of JKAACL and demanding his removal they had appealed to Governor NN Vohra by sending representations.
In the representation sent to Governor, the officials have maintained that since the establishment of autonomous Academy nearly five decades back, the Secretary has been appointed from within the officials of Academy.
"But to appoint a blue-eyed candidate Dr. Aziz Hajni as Secretary of Academy, unconstitutionally a search committee was constituted by Government, first time in the history of Academy, after Khalid Bashir superannuated in May 2014, which ultimately appointed Dr. Hajni as Secretary", the representation reads.
It further read that prior to Dr. Hajni, 18 secretaries were appointed by Government but never any search committee was framed as there was no provision to constitute committee in Academy constitution/Academic recruitment rules 2006 besides an outside writer was chairman of Search committee which was also illegal.
The representation further maintained that no eligibility criteria were finalized by Search committee and no representations were sought from eligible candidates and no advertisement was given to any newspaper.
It further mentioned that before joining as Secretary Dr. Aziz Hajni was working as Assistant Professor in University of Kashmir on probation period in Pay Band 3 (Rs. 15600 - 39100) Grade Pay of Rs. 6000 since 2013 and vide No: GAD(Adm)118/2014-V Dated: 26-06-2015. "The President has appointed him Secretary Academy, and this post fall in the Pay Band 4 (Rs. 37400 - 67000) Grade Pay of Rs. 8900", it reads, adding, an Under-Secretary level officer was appointed as Secretary.
"A junior most officer Assistant Professor (Kashmiri) of (Rs. 15600 - 39100) Grade Pay of Rs. 6000, who is below the rank of Deputy Secretary (Rs. 15600 - 39100) Grade Pay of Rs. 6600 appointed as Secretary JKAACL (Rs. 37400 - 67000) Grade Pay of Rs. 8900 (equivalent to the post of Secretary to Government) is against the established law and a matter of abuse of power and is an exercise of extreme favouritism", it further reads.
"12 officers of Academy including two Additional Secretaries having nearly three decades' experience, Seven chief editors of different Languages, three Special Officers for Cultural activities, two Deputy Secretaries have been made subordinate to Dr. Hajni", the representation reads.
The concluding paragraph reads, "We (senior officers) feel humiliated suffocated under him. We request the president to shift us directed under Secretary Culture in Civil Secretariat till Hajni heads the department, who is junior to us".
Secretary of Academy Dr. Aziz Hajni claimed that he was unaware of any representation made by officials against him to higher authorities. "If any employee or official has any complaint against me, he/she is free to knock higher authorities' doors", he said, adding but the circular issued had nothing to do with any such representation.
Clarifying further he said that some officials have been lodging complaints against their counterparts and subordinate officials to higher authorities. "There is decorum in the Government functioning. Before going to higher authorities, these employees should represent to Secretary and if Secretary would fail to address their grievances, they are free to go higher authorities", he further said, adding discipline must be there in the institution.
He further said that instead of doing their work, some officials used the machinery and property of Academy for personal purposes. "On the complaints, two squads one each in Jammu and Srinagar are framed to monitor the activities", he said, adding that full investigation of case would be done. |
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