Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 18: State High Court has issued directions for personal appearance of Commissioner Secretary, Rural Development Department in a petition filed by Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah, Director Social Audit MGNREGA seeking quashment of order whereby his services were disengaged by the department.
After hearing Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed appearing for the petitioner and Senior AAG SS Nanda appearing for the State, Justice Bansi Lal Bhat took a serious view of the matter and said, “it appears that affidavit filed by Secretary RDD is contrary to the records as there is sufficient evidence which belies the stand taken by Secretary RDD”, adding “the correspondence on the file shows that the petitioner was very much in service up to January 2015 and how his services were disengaged in October, 2014”.
Accordingly, Justice Bansi Lal Bhat issued directions for personal appearance of Commissioner Secretary Rural Development Department on the next date of hearing to explain his position.
Earlier, Advocate SS Ahmed drew the attention to the court to the affidavit filed by Secretary Rural Development Department wherein it was submitted that service record of the petitioner appears to have been lost/ non-traceable due to floods in the Valley. “This affidavit is also false as the petitioner was engaged on October 18, 2014 and floods came in Valley in first week of September”, he said, adding “this affidavit was filed just to defeat the earlier interim orders passed by the High Court whereby directions were issued for payment of emoluments/ Darbar Move allowance to the petitioner and also to allow him to serve as Director Social Audit”, he added.
“It is quite strange that the petitioner was engaged on October 18, 2014 vide order No.286-RD&PR of 2014 and he continued to serve till date and was disengaged by antedated order No.286-A RD&PR of 2014 dated October 18, 2014 just to defeat the earlier interim directions”, he said.
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