JAMMU, Nov 20: High Court today directed the State Government to frame some standard criteria for the engagement of Public Relation Officers (PROs) by the Ministers and other higher-ups in a judgment here.
The court further directed the State that entire exercise should be completed within a period of three months. “It is very strange that the Ministers take any person, generally their relations without adhering to any criteria, as their PROs, otherwise how could a Forest Guard, Kewal Sharma, officially distribute cheques for Rs 20 lakh in presence of SDM Khour among the flood-affected people of Palatan and Chahani Divanoo, Khour,” Justice Tashi Rabstan of Jammu and Kashmir High Court said.
Mr Sharma was the PRO of former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand. The State Vigilance Organisation had recently also raided his residence and recovered cash, gold worth lakhs besides property worth crores.
Justice Rabstan also said that the matter is stated to have been referred by the Genera Administration Department to the SVO for investigation as regards amassing huge wealth, properties by Sharma by unlawful and corrupt means while acting as a PRO to the then Deputy Chief Minister and looking into the gravity of allegations. (AGENCIES)
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