| Ministers, former legislator's 'Aashirwad' renders transfer orders in Local Bodies department meaningless | | Saifullah, Mir, Dar don't want their blue-eyed boys to be transferred | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Dec 6: Too much interference from politicians is seriously hampering the normal functioning of Urban Local Bodies department. It is due to this meddling in affairs that two recent orders issued with respect to transfer of more than one dozen officers in the department have become irrelevant.
Sources told Early Times that a week back on November 29 the Urban Local Bodies department issued two orders ordering for the transfers of 14 Executive Officers of different municipal committees and councils. The orders became irrelevant as the transfers never took place and the Executive Officers continue to function at their previous places of posting.
"The Urban Local Bodies department issued order numbers 303 and 304 on 29-11-2013 under which 14 Executive Officers were transferred. However, as on date nobody has been transferred due to the patronage enjoyed by some officers of the politicians more so those who are ministers in the ruling coalition," said sources.
According to the orders, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din, Executive Officer, Municipal Committee, Kupwara in North Kashmir was transferred and posted as Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Frisal in South Kashmir's Kulgam district. It was after 14 years that Mohi-ud-Din was transferred from Kupwara despite the fact that serious allegations were leveled against him.
During his tenure as Executive Officer, Municipal Committee, Kupwara, Mohi-ud-din made dozens of illegal appointments and also allotted shops illegally to some beneficiaries in lieu of hefty amount. Although the employees of Municipal Committee staged protests against the Executive Officer the concerned officer was not transferred from his place of posting.
"Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mir Saifullah is defending the case of Mohi-ud-din and is creating obstacles in his transfer from Kupwara. This interference has given advantageous position to Mohi-ud-din and he is not willing to move from his present place of posting. As such Municipal Committee, Kupwara continues to be manned by this corrupt officer," said sources.
According to the orders, Lateef Ahmad, Executive Officer, Municipal Committee, Sopore in North Kashmir was transferred and posted as Executive Officer, Municipal Committee, Budgam in Central Kashmir. However his transfer too could not materialize due to the interference of a former legislator from Sopore.
"Former MLA and Congress leader Haji Abdul Rashid Dar is not willing for transfer of Lateef from Sopore and has subverted the move. This too is despite the fact that he too is involved in scams and scandals at Municipal Committee, Sopore. It was after eight years that Lateef's transfer from Sopore was ordered, but the order has been rendered meaningless," said sources.
According to the orders, Ghulam Rasool Shah, Executive Officer, Municipal Committee, Tangmarg has been transferred and posted as Executive Officer, Municipal Committee, Kupwara. This transfer too has not been taken to logical conclusion due to the interference from Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir.
"The agriculture minister wants Shah to be posted in his constituency preferably at Kunzer and is not willing to transfer this officer to Kupwara. It is due to the interference from politicians that transfers could not take place and as such the Municipal Committees and Councils continue to be manned by former Executive Officers," said sources. |
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