| GAD seeks action against ex-Principal, 6 others; Edu dept unmoved | | | Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, April 18: The unequivocal recommendations made by General Administration Department (GAD) to Higher Education Department for initiating departmental action against seven officials, has reportedly fall on deaf ears of department, as even after the submission of enquiry report, action is still awaited against the officials.
According to the documents available with Early Times, an enquiry was initiated against seven officials deputed in Government Degree College Doda, for allegedly issuing tenders to some favorites for purchase of sports items for said college, according to enquiry number PE-SLK, 3/10 and Veri-UD-25/11, and the enquiry was initiated on 18/8/2010 and 30/9/2011.
The accused officials including in-charge Principal GDC Akhnoor Satpal Sharma, Incharge Principal GDC Bhaderwah Zaheer Abass Hashmi, Jaffer Husain deputed from School Education department, Dr. Veer Jee, Javaid Iqbal Tramboo, Dr. Aijaz Ahmed and Sarita Parihar. The General Administration department had recommended to Secretary to Higher Education department for initiating regular departmental action against the above said officials.
About the present status of case, the documents revealed, "the enquiry officer was appointed vide order no. 73 HE of 2014 dated 9/7/2014. However the enquiry officer has reported that the concerned file has been damaged during floods in the month of September 2014. Consequently, a fresh enquiry committee was constituted vide Government order number 146-HE of 2015 dated 23/4/2015. The said enquiry committee has submitted the report and is under examination".
Sources said that it was very unfortunate that after lapse of nearly six years, enquiry report was submitted but still no action has been taken, which only portended towards the fact that the officials would easily escape from any action. "One of the involved official, is likely to be promoted as Principal, which is totally unfair and with such moves, what type of culture this PDP-BJP Government want to propagate, it can easily be judged", he questioned.
A Law officer in civil secretariat pleading anonymity said that as per law, an accused is always presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. "The quantum of sentence also depends on the quantum of crime. The punishment varies from fine of few hundreds to stoppage of increment but there are remote possibilities that an accused is devoid of promotion", he said.
An official of Higher Education department said that the case involved purchase of sports items to the tune of Rs. 2.5 Lakhs. "A six member purchase committee was constituted and open tenders were invited from bidders. Six bidders sent their response out of which five contractors were awarded contracts for different items. One of the local contractor of Bhaderwah, was given tender to the tune of nearly Rs. 10 thousands, who refused to provide items. It was decided to give tender to next bidder but it was not done by college authorities", he said. He further informed that the contractor of Bhaderwah, came to meet the then Principal SP Sharma and projected his case but later filed a complaint in vigilance department.
"The Vigilance team visited college but failed to produce any challan and recommended for departmental action. The Higher Education department constituted committee's twice, which only found a technical fault as when tenders were invited the post of Physical Director in college was vacant due to which college authorities had taken services of a Physical education teacher of Education department", he said, adding that finally a difference in rates of three bats was found.
According to the enquiry report submitted as per letter number HE-Coll/Coord/Vig/WPPIL, no. 9/2012, dated 18/4/2016 a penalty of Rs. 1980 was imposed on seven officials.
As per enquiry report which reads as, "In terms of rules 34 of JK Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules 1956, this give an opportunity to you (SP Sharma and others) show-cause by or before 25th of April 2016, so as to why the above proposed penalty(Rs. 1980) be not imposed on you".
An accused official said that for the last five years they have been facing metal harassment due to delayed enquiry report. "It was an unintentional technical mistake found in purchase of three cricket bats and a difference of Rs. 1980 was found. We are professors and not the accountants and we are ready to pay the penalty imposed", the official said. |
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