Govt sets into motion exercise to identify erring officers for action under CCA Rules

Thousands of illegal appointments in ULBs across Kashmir
*Politicians, officers facilitated adjustment of blue-eyed persons
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 18: The Government has set into motion an exercise to identify officers who facilitated illegal appointments and regularizations in the Urban Local Bodies across the Kashmir valley since 2001 so that appropriate action can be initiated against them as well as illegal beneficiaries strictly as per the Jammu and Kashmir Classification Control and Appeal Rules, 1956.
Moreover, a mechanism is being evolved to ensure that in future nobody indulges into such illegalities and resultantly put financial burden on the exchequer and all the appointments are made in a most transparent manner.
Acting on the communication of Directorate of Urban Local Bodies Kashmir dated May 6, 2022, the Housing and Urban Development Department, in terms of Rule 33 of Jammu and Kashmir Classification Control and Appeal Rules, 1956, has accorded sanction to the appointment of Mohammad Shahid Saleem Dar, Managing Director Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board as Inquiry Officer to conduct an in-depth inquiry into misconduct of erring officers for misusing their official powers/positions for making illegal appointments/ regularizations in the Urban Local Bodies Kashmir since 2001 onward in violation of rules and regulations and without following due procedure of law.
The Inquiry Officer has been directed to submit the report along with the specific recommendations within a period of one month so as to facilitate the Housing and Urban Development Department in proceeding further.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that thousands of illegal appointments were made in the Urban Local Bodies at the behest of politicians from time to time and all the rules and regulations were thrown to winds to give undue favour to the blue-eyed persons.
“While acting on the directions of the politicians, those who remained heads of the Urban Local Bodies in Kashmir valley also adjusted several persons of their choice and in such a manner undue financial burden was put on the Municipal Councils and Committees despite being aware of the fact that these bodies don’t generate their own resources and are purely dependent on the Grant-in-Aid from the Government”, sources further said.
The loot of the exchequer was not confined to illegal appointments only as with the passage of time even they were regularized again on the instructions of the politicians. “Further, several illegally appointed persons even managed promotions and presently they are holding gazetted posts in the Urban Local Bodies”, sources said.
They further informed that several Municipal Councils and Committees in the Kashmir valley have more than required manpower in the offices as compared to the field and on ground most of the duties are being performed by need-based workers and not by those who were illegally appointed. “For adjustment of blue-eyed persons even some posts for the name sake were created by those heading the Urban Local Bodies and no approval of the competent authority was obtained while doing so”, sources said.
“It is very difficult to throw out all the illegally appointed persons out of the jobs as the same will lead to litigations and other problems as such the Government has decided to conduct a formal inquiry strictly as per the Jammu and Kashmir Classification Control and Appeal Rules before proceeding further in the matter as per the law”, they further said.
Rule 33, which deals with dismissal, removal or reduction in rank, makes it mandatory for the Government to conduct formal inquiry and give to the erring person an opportunity to defend him against the action proposed to be taken against him. “The adherence to this procedure will help the Government in defending its action if somebody knocks the court of law”, sources said.
They informed that illegal appointments were also made in Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Srinagar Development Authority and the same are also being enquired by the Housing and Urban Development Department separately.
“Moreover, an exercise has been set into motion to reorganize Urban Local Bodies in Kashmir as well as in Jammu so that a mechanism is put in place for future appointments”, sources said, adding “the matter is being discussed between Housing and Urban Development Department and Department of ARI and Trainings and hopefully this important exercise will be taken to the logical conclusion in next few months”.