news details |
|
|
| What led to ouster of J&K's 3rd senior most bureaucrat from Resident Commissioner's office? | | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Aug 1: Within 3 months and 10 days, the 3rd senior most and a Financial Commissioner rank officer of the IAS Cadre of J&K Sonali Kumar was shown the door after she had taken over as Principal Resident Commissioner Delhi exactly on April 20.
If the sources are to be believed, the writing was on the wall and this had to happen sooner than later. They added that the ostensible reason was that she didn't accompany the House Committee of MLCs that had come to inspect state Government properties in Delhi on the July 20, 2013. Sources further said that the Government chose to ignore the fact that she did show the committee around on the July 18 and 19, July 2013 for which she had received a formal notice was ignored.
According to a senior IAS officer, the practice that no officer of the rank of Principal Secretary and above personally escorts any house committee anywhere was brushed under the carpet. As the entire J&K administration is abuzz, sources maintain that Sonali's story is sad, but epic proportions of intrigue and fraud.
According to sources, the story has been scripted by none other than the present Additional Resident Commissioner (ARC), who is merely a Deputy Secretary rank officer. The gentleman who is a self-proclaimed backdoor entry in Government service is son of a decorated IAS officer who retired as an Advisor to the Government. He was rewarded with post of ARC in New Delhi, a post which was traditionally held by Secretary rank officer or otherwise, for his proximity with highest corridors in the power.
Used to his unquestioned ways of profligacy in Mumbai, sources said that the ARC adopted the same style in Delhi, where he stays in J&K House Chanakyapuri. They added that Sonali's mistake was that she once accidentally enquired into the huge amounts being spent on mutton biryani ostensibly ordered to feed officers coming to attend meetings in the Planning Commission.
The bills had to be cleared ultimately but future menus were ordered to strictly contain only "working lunch" kind of items. Sources further disclosed that officer's penchant for hobnobbing with senior Hurriyat leaders in 5-star hotels next came to attention and that resulted in the curtailment of his vehicle allotment powers. ARC struck back viciously by writing a letter to Commissioner/Secretary PWD directly, without any one's permission, asking for the MTO's recall, added the sources.
They maintained that when Sonali Kumar came to know of this unauthorised letter, she talked to Commissioner/Secretary PWD herself and officially "withdrew" the letter. Another issue was that Sonali had obtained an exceptionally preferential rate arrangement with ITDC for use of its Ashok and Samrat hotels for J&K officers in times when the state accommodation in Delhi fell woefully short of requirement.
Sources disclosed that this had to be done with utmost discretion and strictly in order of seniority. They maintained that ARC without seeking any one's permission, allotted this 5-star accommodation to all and sundry. Sonali countermanded this unauthorised order, leading to further aggravation of the relationships between the two, sources added.
Sources further said that the ARC sent a 37 page report that was cleared neither by the PRC nor by Hospitality and Protocol Department. This led to Sonali immediately calling for his explanation, sources said. Being well aware of the proximity he enjoys with the highest in the corridors of power, sources said that ARC memo a royal ignore. This "fight" among officers was naturally deemed "improper and unsustainable" by the Government and because it's J&K, it was the senior officer who had to be thrown out. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
