Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 9: The Government has ordered a probe into all illegal appointments and regularisations made in the Local Bodies of Kashmir valley during the last two decades.
A committee of officers headed by Director Urban Local Bodies Kashmir, Mathoora Masoom, has been constituted to inquire into all illegal appointments made in the Municipal Councils and Committees of Kashmir valley since 2001.
The committee comprises Showkat Ahmad Mir, Special Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department and Alyaz Ahmad Naisroo, Secretary, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA).
The Directorate of ULB Kashmir administers three Municipal Councils and 39 Municipal Committees across Kashmir where, as per sources, over 2000 illegal appointments were made during the last two decades on recommendations of Ministers, legislators and officers.
The modus operandi adopted were that officials in the committee would make illegal recruitments and then the Director would issue transfer orders to other institutions and hide the fraud and they were also promoted.
This is the second such enquiry into the backdoor appointments in the ULB Kashmir during the past 15 days.
On June 23, the Government ordered that Dr. Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Vice-Chairman, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority would inquire into the appointments done in Urban Local Bodies Kashmir by way of illegal relaxation of norms of age and qualification etc.
The order stated that Riyaz Ahmad Shah, Joint Commissioner (Adm), Srinagar Municipal Corporation shall be the Presiding Officer in the case. The inquiry officer shall submit its report by 30.07.2021 positively.
Previously, in 2019 the Principal Secretary had suspended many Executive Officers of MCs in Kashmir.
A committee constituted during the NC- Congress regime found that around 1800-2000 illegal appointments were made in the Urban Local Bodies of Kashmir between 2003 to 2010. The inquiry team concluded that more than 20 officers are involved in the scam.
It had also recommended disengagement of illegal appointees as well as constitution of a special team of Vigilance to fix the responsibilities.
In 2011, the Urban Development Ministry issued an order threatening disciplinary action against its officers and recovery of the money taken as salaries by the illegal appointees. But so far nothing has been done.
In 2011 only, the Vigilance Organization (now ACB) had sought details of employees, cases of fresh appointments in Councils and Committees, sanctioned post strength of every Municipal Council and salary budget grant-in-aid with regard to the salary of employees, especially in the Municipal Bodies of Bandipore, Sumbal, Hajin, Baramulla, Sopore, Kunzar, Tangmarg, Watergam, Pattan, Uri, Handwara, Kupara and Langate.
However, there was no progress in these cases due to alleged corruption in the VO and political interference.
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