Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 23: The Government today admitted in the Legislative Assembly that 7893 ‘backdoor appointments’ have been made in 10 Government Departments including Consolidated, casual, daily wagers, need based, contingent and local fund paid during past about four years of National Conference-Congress coalition Government triggering massive uproar not only from the Opposition but the treasury benches leading to walk-out by the BJP breakaway group, CPM and an Independent member.
The Government came under sharp attack from the MLAs over the ‘backdoor appointments’ as the MLAs cutting across the party affiliations wanted to know why they were not being taken into confidence while making the appointments and at whose behest the jobs have been distributed.
“There has been ‘banderbaant’ of the jobs,’’ the MLAs lamented.
The issue of alleged distribution of plan amount to National Conference workers also rocked the Assembly during Question Hour with NPP MLA Yashpal Kundal trooping into Well of the House and Harshdev Singh jumping atop the bench to protest what they called “blatant misuse’’ of taxpayers’ amount.
Jammu State Morcha (JSM) MLA Ashwani Sharma and BJP rebel Prof Gharu Bhagat also staged walk-out on the plight of refugees.
In his reply to a question of Independent MLA from Langate Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather on behalf of Minister Incharge General Administration Department (GAD) (Chief Minister Omar Abdullah) admitted that 7893 persons have been engaged in 10 Departments during past about 4 years i.e. March 2009 to January 31, 2013.
The written reply revealed that in PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, 134 jobs were doled out as casual/daily wagers, 974 as need/contingent/local fund paid and 39 as consolidated. The concerned Chief Engineers had made the appointments. In Education, 940 persons were engaged as need/contingent/local funds paid by CEO/ZEO/Headmasters while the figure was 1612 in Agriculture, engaged by the Directors.
In Floriculture, 614 and, Horticulture 181 and R&B 1008 youths were engaged on need/contingent/local fund paid by Directors, Chief Engineers, MD JKPCC, Joint Development Commissioner (Works) and Director Store Procurement respectively.
In Housing and Urban Development Department, two persons have been engaged on consolidated bases while in Local Bodies of Kashmir, 410 jobs were given as casual/daily wagers, 45 as need/contingent/local fund paid and 210 on consolidated basis. In Local Bodies of Jammu, 748 jobs were given as casual/daily wagers and 15 as consolidated bases, all appointment made by Executive Officers/President of Local Bodies.
In Tourism Department, 761 persons had been engaged as need/contingent/local fund paid by the Directors concerned.
CPM MLA MY Tarigami describing the appointments as ‘banderbaant’ said the Government has made the officers as “scapegoats’’ while engaging their own persons in the Department.
“What was the need of these appointment? We (the MLAs) are being fooled). The people’s mandate is being subverted. There is no justice in the appointments. It’s nothing but ‘banderbaant’, which can’t be tolerated,’’ Mr Tarigami said while raising a supplementary to the question.
Three National Conference members including Irfan Shah, Aijaz Jan and Peer Afaq Ahmed were seen thumping their benches on the speech of Mr Tarigami.
Earlier also, Mr Shah, Mr Jan, Mr Afaq and another NC MLA Mohammad Ashraf Ganaie besides Indu Pawar (Congress), Engineer Rashid and Tsetan Namgayal (both Independents) were seen protesting from their benches against the backdoor appointments, which they said were being made surpassing the concerned MLAs.
“Where the MLAs should go? This is ridiculous’’, some of them were heard as shouting.
As Congress MLA and former Works Minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori was seen protesting from his seat on the “backdoor entries’’, Mr Rashid tried to shout him down saying “you too have engaged 1000 persons during your tenure’’.
“The jobs are not personal property of any Minister. Where the MLAs would go?’’ Mr Rashid asked.
Responding to supplementary questions raised by the MLAs, Mr Rather pointed out that there were certain exceptions under which the Government officers have been authorized to engage the youths to run the schemes.
To the queries of NC MLAs including Irfan Shah, Peer Afaq and Aijaz Jan on fast track recruitments, Mr Rather announced that the Government proposed to fill up all vacancies (about 70,000) during the next two years.
Mr Rashid countered that all this was being done with an eye on the elections.
Mr Rather pointed out that Mr Tarigami hasn’t raised any supplementary but only delivered the speech.
Protesting the “backdoor appointments’’, Mr Tarigami staged walk-out in the House. BJP breakaway group MLAs including Prof Gharu Ram, Bharat Bushan, Lal Chand and Durga Dass also protested the “backdoor entries’’ in the House before staging a walk-out.
As soon as the Assembly resumed its sitting this morning, a number of Opposition MLAs including those belonging to NPP, CPM PDF and BJP breakaway group were on their feet protesting what they called “illegal distribution’’ of plan funds to National Conference workers for development works.
NPP MLA from Samba Yashpal Kundal trooped into the Well of the House while his party colleague and former Minister Harshdev Singh jumped atop his bench alleging that the Government was “doling out’’ tax payers’ money to the ruling party workers for development works.
BJP breakaway group members, CPM MLA MY Tarigami and PDF leader and former Minister Hakim Mohammad Yasin were also on their feet and protested the distribution of plan funds “selectively’’.
“This is breach of privilege of members. This is tax payers’ money and the Government is just a custodian. This is not the personal property of the Government, which is being distributed at its whims and fancies,’’ Harshdev Singh said.
“The MLAs represent a constituency. They have a genuine right of development. Why and how this Government money is being distributed among ruling party workers’’? Mr Tarigami asked.
Another NPP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia said that National Conference block presidents were being given the plan funds at the cost of the MLAs.
BJP breakaway group MLA from Hiranagar Durga Dass was also on his feet and alleged that the plan funds were being released to block presidents of ruling party.
CPM leader MY Tarigami also joined the issue and strongly opposed release of funds to party workers. He added that plan amount was not a private company’s money, which can be released to anyone.
Mr Mankotia urged the Speaker to take action as he was custodian of the MLAs.
Speaker Mubarak Gul told the members that their concern has been duly recorded in the House and they should allow the House to function and he would ask the Minister to reply.
Planning Minister Ajay Sadhotra, who was present in the House, didn’t respond to the protests while Law Minister Saifullah Mir said if amount has been distributed through CD Panchayats the Rural Development Minister would reply when he comes to the House.
The Opposition MLAs shouted ‘Sarkari Khazane Ki Loot Khasoot Bandh Karo, Bandh Karo’ before taking their seats and disrupting the Question Hour for about 17 minutes.
JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma forcefully took up the issue of West Pakistan, PoK, 1965 and 1971 refugees saying the Government has maintained “silence’’ on them while the refugees including their children continued to suffer despite living here for 65 years.
“What is the fault of refugees? Why are they being made to suffer’’? Mr Sharma asked.
After shouting for a couple of minutes in favour of the demands of refugees in the House, Mr Sharma staged a walk-out along with BJP breakaway group MLA from RS Pura Prof Gharu Bhagat.
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