Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 21: Division Bench of the State High Court comprising Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Janak Raj Kotwal today granted four weeks time to the General Administration Department (GAD) for filing fresh status report with regard to the steps taken by the various departments for disposal of pending departmental enquiries.
When the PIL titled Sheikh Mohd Shafi Versus Union of India and Others came up for hearing, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocate Rahul Raina appearing for the PIL drew the attention of the Division Bench to the detailed order passed on May 13, 2015 whereby the Division Bench had sought the status of the 147 ongoing departmental enquiries and also the explanation of the GAD Secretary as to why various delinquent officers were allowed to superannuate when there were departmental enquiries pending against them.
Advocate Ahmed further drew the attention of the DB towards the status report filed by the GAD mentioning that Administrative Secretaries of the various departments were directed vide letter dated June 19, 2015 to furnish status report with regard to all cases where departmental enquiries are pending. Moreover, the concerned departments were directed to conclude the enquiries within a period of one month, with the approval of the competent authorities.
After hearing counsel for the petitioner, the DB observed, “it is stated in the status report that pursuant to the directions issued by this court, the GAD is regularly monitoring the issue with regard to the departmental enquiries”, adding “from the status report, it appears that one month’s time, which was granted to the administrative departments to furnish the requisite details, has lapsed on 19-07-2015”.
“As to how the various departments have responded to the communication dated June 19, 2015, issued by the GAD and the details of the action taken by those departments in line with the instructions and the decisions taken by the GAD, requires to be seen by this court”, the DB said.
With these observations, the DB directed the General Administration Department to file a detailed status report within a period of four weeks reflecting the steps taken by the various departments pursuant to the instructions and decisions taken by the GAD with regard to the finalization of 147 departmental enquiries.
The Division Bench further directed that the Senior AAG Seema Shekhar shall also file a status report with regard to the steps taken by the Government for purpose of making the State Accountability Commission functional and steps taken in notifying the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2015.
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