Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Mar 2: The State Education Department has failed to take action against the Chief Education Officer Budgam and 14 other officials who were found involved in large scale irregular appointments and misuse of funds in Education Department by an inquiry Committee formed under the directions of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.
The Inquiry ordered last year under the directions of Chief Minister has found that 14 minors between the age of 7 and 14 years were employed as Class IV employees in Education Department in district Budgam in gross violation of service rules. CEO Budgam, Nazir Ahmad Dar, regularised all these 14 minors despite knowing their age at the time of their employment.
The Inquiry Committee formed by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Shailendra Kumar, in July last year submitted its report to Divisional Commissioner who submitted it to the Chief Secretary October 2, 2013 but so far no action has been taken against the CEO Budgam, ZEOs and other officials. However, Director Education, Tariq Ali Mir, said that he had suspended three ZEOs and some clerical staff but they order was stayed by High Court.
The Secretary General Administrative Department, Mohammad Asharaf Bukhari, had written to the Secretary Education Department to take immediate action against the culprits in the light of recommendations of the Inquiry Committee. He has also written to Director Vigilance (GAD VIG 114-Complaint/2013 dated 10/12/2013) to take legal action against culprits.
The Inquiry found the CEO Budgam, Nazir Ahmad Dar, several Zonal Education Officers and other staff indulged in “criminal conspiracy and malafide intentions by making irregularities in the engagement of ReT’s, regularization as general line teachers, engagement of Class IV in KGBV, engagement of CPW and their regularization and utilization of funds under SSA”.
The complaint against the CEO Budgam and other officials was made by residents of Budgam district to Chief Minister who referred it to Chief Secretary for Inquiry. The Divisional Commissioner ordered the inquiry (Order No. Div.Com/K/1 of 2013 dated 16/07/2013) and formed Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Director Education Kashmir, Tariq Ali Mir, and District Treasury Officer Budgam, Mohammad Yaseen Sarafraz as Inquiry Officers.
The Inquiry report found CEO Budgam, Nazir Ahmad Dar; ZEOs Ghulam Nabi Dar, Noor Mohammad, Najamudin, Tahmeena Gazali, Mohammad Ramzan, Irfan Haleem; Senior Assistants Mohammad Qasim Malla, Tariq Ahmad, Mohammad Iqbal, G M Lone, Mohammad Ibrahim; Head Assistants Abdul Salam and Tariq Ahmad and Junior Assistant Showkat Ahmad, involved in the fraud appointments and misuse of funds in Education Department in district Budgam.
The Inquiry recommended that “appropriate action be taken against all these officers as per law/service rules against these officers and these officials should not be posted on key positions.” However, despite the filing of report 5 months ago, these officers continue to hold key positions.
Sources say that some officials in the Directorate of School Education, Kashmir are also involved in the fraudulent appointments but they are being shielded.
The report has recommended termination of three regularized teachers Altaf Hussain Bhat, Bashir Ahmad Bhat and Fayaz Ahmad Malik who were appointed on fake certificates.
It has also recommended recovery of wages of one Nowshada, who was appointed as CPW in 1993 and later illegally regularized, from drawing and disbursing officer. It has also recommended termination of one Rubeena who was appointed as ReT against a General line post.
The report says that despite Crime Branch inquiry finding the certificates of one Altaf Hussain as fraud, the CEO regularised him and similarly an RET Fayaz Ahmad Malik and Bashir Ahmad Bhat were regularized under similar circumstances by ZEOs and their staff.
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