New modus operandi for back-door appointments
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 28: As a part of new modus operandi for back-door appointments, the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction has engaged several persons as Disaster Management professionals at monthly remuneration of Rs 20,000 without advertising the posts, which otherwise was imperative to ensure fairness and provide equal opportunity to all the competent candidates. Moreover, the selections have been made from the Kashmir University only despite the fact that such candidates are also available in Jammu University.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that several months back the Administrative Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction suddenly made up its mind to engage persons having qualification in disaster management as Disaster Management professionals.
Accordingly, 10 persons either pursuing relevant studies or having completed the same from the Kashmir University were picked up and designated as Disaster Management professionals. They were consequently deployed in the Jhelum and Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP), which is funded by the World Bank as per the tripartite agreement reached between World Bank, J&K Government and Department of Economic Affairs of Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
The selection was made without advertising the posts, which otherwise was the only method to ensure transparency and fairness besides giving equal opportunity to all those candidates who have relevant qualification in their credit, sources regretted while disclosing that after allowing them to work as Disaster Management professionals in JTFRP, which otherwise has yet not taken off completely despite lapse of considerable period of time, they were deployed in different locations during Shri Amarnathji Yatra.
Now, the Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Mohammad Ashraf Mir, vide Order No.77-DMRRR dated September 14, 2017 has withdrawn these DM professionals from the JTFRP and deployed them in several Disaster Management Authorities.
It has been mentioned in the order, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, that there is provision for human resource support for engaging Disaster Management professionals in the Centrally Sponsored Schemes—“Strengthening of State Disaster Management Authority and District Disaster Management Authorities” and “Sustainable Reduction of Disaster Risk”.
The back-door appointments have also been justified by mentioning that the State Executive Committee, in its meeting held on August 28, 2017 approved utilizing the available funds for providing human resource support under these schemes in such a manner that Disaster Management professionals are deployed in all the districts of the State in view of the vulnerability of the State to multiple disasters.
“These Disaster Management professionals were engaged much earlier the approval of the State Executive Committee as such this is a new modus operandi for back-door appointments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes”, sources said, adding “had there been provision for providing human resource support under these schemes why the posts were not properly advertised in order to ensure strict compliance to the constitutional provision of right to equality”.
Questioning the decision of the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, sources said, “how can the persons with degree or diploma in disaster management can be called professional when they don’t have requisite experience in the field”, adding “the experience obtained in the JTFRP cannot be justified especially in the light of the fact that this World Bank funded project has yet not taken off fully”.
“How these Disaster Management professionals can render proper assistance to the District Disaster Management Authorities headed by District Development Commissioners of the rank of IAS and senior scale KAS having experience of several years in their credit is also a million dollar question”, sources said.
Interestingly, a teacher and a fireman have also been deployed for assistance to two District Disaster Management Authorities. “The out-of-pocket expenses in respect of Disaster Management professionals other than teacher and fireman shall be drawn at the rate of Rs 20,000 per month”, read the order of Commissioner/Secretary to Government, Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.
The provision for human resource support under “Strengthening of State Disaster Management Authority and District Disaster Management Authorities” and “Sustainable Reduction of Disaster Risk” schemes doesn’t mean that the Government can go in for selective selection that too from a particular region or institution, sources remarked.
As per the order, Farhana Farooq has been deployed in Srinagar Disaster Management Authority, Bilquees Jan in Ganderbal, Shariq Bashir in Disaster Management Authorities of Jammu and Udhampur, Bashir Hussain in Leh and Kargil, Aanisa Abid in Baramulla, Konsar Lateef in Budgam, Idrees Ahmed Bhat in Kupwara and Bandipora, Malik Tawqeer-un-Nisa in Pulwama and Shopian, Afaaq Hussain in Ramban and Reasi, Mushtaq Ahmed in Kathua and Samba, Ashiq Hussain Rather in Doda and Kishtwar, Bilquees Dar, Aaliya Fazal Beigh, Mohd Suhail Wani and Gowhar Jeelani in State Disaster Management Authority, Zahoor Ahmed Malik in Rajouri and Poonch and Aymun Hilal Qadri in Anantnag and Kulgam.
It is pertinent to mention here that for engagement of contractual lecturers or doctors the Government is advertising the posts but for DM professionals no such process was followed.
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