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| Omar's retired, re-engaged experts doing no good to defunct corporations? | | A tale of two specialists of Handicraft Corporation! | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Jan 5: Invited through tender notice to revive Jammu and Kashmir State Handicraft Corporation (JKSHC), ex-Managing Director Zahid Hussain whose contract ended seven months ago continues to work as Consultant.
Ex-Managing Director of State Handloom Corporation (SHC) Zahid Hussain retired in the year 2007. According to document available with Early Times, Zahid was engaged by Jammu and Kashmir Handicraft Corporation (JKHC) in July 2012 through a notice inviting tender (NIT) for formulating and implementing business-cum-restructuring plan. If sources are to be believed, the tendered work was to be completed within a stipulated time-period of one year i.e. by July 2013 but Zahid has now entered into sixth month of engagement despite the contract having lapsed. .
To explain his continuity in corporation, sources said that Managing Director (MD) Munshi Muzaffar Hussain described Zahid's work as exemplary and pleaded with government not to disengage him. Government seemingly agreed. However, he did this without justifying Zahid's engagement even after expiry of contract. Officials maintain that since Zahid has not been engaged as consultant through a government order, he should have been disengaged once contract period of NIT expired.
Sources affirmed that government gave into the recommendations of MD, preferred to overlook rules and regulations, just to continue with one of their favourites. Ironically, Managing Director (MD) of Jammu and Kashmir Handicraft Corporation (JKHC) Munshi Muzaffar Hussain, who recommended Zahid Hussain's continuity as consultant, had himself retired in April, 2013 as Director Handicrafts. He was also then holding the charge of Director Handloom. He retired and within a day, was subsequently re-engaged and rehabilitated in the corporation.
He did not even spend a day without work. Courtesy: Muzaffar's relatives working on various administrative posts in the civil secretariat. Muzaffar, according to sources brought back Zahid Hussain into the corporation through a tender notice after the later had retired in April 2007. They added that the two retired officials are since then working in close coordination in the corporation and enjoying all perks, entitled otherwise to serving government officials.
After his re-engagement as consultant, sources allege that Zahid managed lucrative contracts for his close-ones. Informing about alleged wrongs committed by consultant in the corporation, sources said that state government had given a huge amount for purchase of carpets from artisans with an aim to curb middlemanship.
They added that the consultant in league with the Managing Director (MD) of the Corporation neither issued any advertisement nor informed artisans in Kashmir valley about intent of government to purchase carpets from them directly.
Sources said that the two issued an order whereby a particular carpet technician was directed to go to New Delhi along with a committee to purchase carpets. The said technician went all the way to Delhi from carpet capital Kashmir to make purchases, said the sources. Actually, sources said that this order was meant to benefit a close relative of Zahid who owns a carpet selling company in New Delhi.
Hence, the carpets were purchased from New Delhi. The government, which has long back turned corporations into rehabilitation centres for their near and dear ones, preferred deep silence over the issue. If the government inaction is any indicator, the two are likely to move out the corporation without being asked even simple arithmetic questions about JKSHC. A report is likely to be tabled at the end of the year, giving detailed account of the impending disaster.
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