In a blatant case of gross violations of service rules and misuse of power, the Chief Education Officer of Budgam has formally recruited 14 minors between 7 and 14 years of age as Class IV employees in the department and are drawing their salaries regularly.
In the first place, this is a case of brazen abuse of children’s rights under the rules and laws of National Human Rights Commission and the UN Charter on Human Rights. As such, the NHRC and the State Human Rights Commission should immediately order action against concerned persons who put the teenagers to work instead of helping them get education. This is a case of violation of human rights not only against the Chief Education Officer of Budgam but also against the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Why should not the SHRC initiate a case against the culprits?
It is a clear case where fraud has been meticulously executed and that too in defiance of the orders of higher authorities. More shameful is the attitude of the superiors who, instead of stemming the rot, have become accomplices in the sordid affair for some pecuniary benefit. Why should not the Vigilance authorities arrest the culprits and frame cases against them at the earliest. Crime Branch should probe into the bribery aspect of the case meaning how much bribe has been given to the indicted persons and for what precise purpose. On the face of it, we find there is a racket at work in the State Education Directorate (Kashmir), in which several officials are involved. Therefore it becomes necessary for the authorities to order comprehensive inquiry into the entire episode and uncover the network of corruption. Apart from underhand cash transactions, there are reports of fake educational certificates, fake age certificates, fake payments and withdrawals and fake signatures. Chief Minister’s instructions have been thrown to the wind and court order has been pushed under carpet for last five months so as to allow the cases to linger on and finally get shelved. The culprits are moving freely like a bird without any fear of being brought to the book.
Read between the lines and you will find that indicted persons seem to be having strong political clout. They have remained un-phased even in the face of opposition and expression of resentment by the civil society in the locality.
Authorities should take this a serious indication of deteriorating state of affairs. The evil is to be nipped in the bud. Before this contagion spreads to other institutions and spoils the entire lot, preventive measures should be taken. The State Government has put various checks and balances through different legislations. Services Act in itself is strong enough to deal with such wayward administrative slips provided there is will to enforce the provisions of the Act. We have been lamenting all the time that our accountability wing is dismally weak and ineffective. All these aberrations stem from inefficiency of our accountability system.
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