Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 5: The Government has ordered an inquiry after it received some complaints that about a dozen youth hailing from various blocks of district Kishtwar had managed jobs in Rural Development Department under MGNREGA as Junior Engineers (JEs) and Technical Assistants on fake degrees and diplomas.
Sources in the Rural Development Department said that at least 11 youth have been engaged as JEs/ Technical Assistants in the RDD in Marwah, Dacchan, Nagsani and other blocks of district Kishtwar. Some of the candidates who studied at Polytechnic Jammu, produced degree certificates from Chhatisgarh and some other universities and managed jobs in the department, thus depriving other genuine and deserving candidates of the district.
Interestingly, most of these youth were engaged by the ACD Kishtwar during 2010. They are getting regular salaries and other benefits from the department. Even a few of them having degree in Mechanical Engineering also secured selection despite the fact that as per guidelines and the advertisement notice, it was not the criteria for executing the civil works. The matter came to the notice after some senior officials in the department got suspicious over the documents produced by one Tanvir Sheikh from Nagsani block, Mohsin Khandey from Dachhan and Irfan Hussain and Adil Hussain from Marwah area.
Earlier, a complaint was submitted to ACD and Dy Commissioner Kishtwar but later, observing no action, some local youth approached Director Rural Development, Minister for RDD and Panchayats Ali Mohd Sagar and the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell.
Director, RDD Jammu Shafiq Ahmed Raina when contacted admitted that he had received a complaint in this regard some time back. He said that an inquiry has been ordered to look into the matter and scrutinize the original documents of the youth engaged in Kishtwar district as JEs/ TAs. He said Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Kishtwar has been directed to initiate inquiry and submit report with in a month.
This exercise may take some time as the documents are to be verified from various Universities and Institutions and then scrutinized thoroughly. He said if some one found having played fraud and submitted fake documents, he will have to face the consequences. They will lose job and the Government will make recovery from them. Moreover, the case of forgery and fraud will be registered against them with the Crime Branch of State Police. Even the people who will be found having supported/ helped them in this act, will also be booked in this concern.
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Mohd Saleem said ACD concerned was fully aware of the case and conducting inquiry into it. He said earlier, Angrez Singh was the Assistant Commissioner Development looking after the case and now another man Riyaz Ahmed, CEO of Tourism Development Corporation Kishtwar has been given the additional charge of ACD Kishtwar. He must now be looking into the case. Mr Saleem said that he was also keeping track of the case and if needed will depute his officers to assist him in the inquiry. The DC said that Government will have to take action in case anybody was found playing fraud for managing jobs on fake certificates. He said that some other nature of complaints of MNREGA related works have also been received by him in the district.
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