Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 15: The backdoor appointment issue in Jammu and Kashmir Bank, the bankers to State Government rocked the Assembly today as entire opposition was on its toes to put the coalition on mat.
The trouble started when NC’s MLA from Pahalgam, Altaf Ahmed Kallu raised the issue of backdoor appointments in the bank during the debate on budget in the afternoon sitting of the House, alleging that backdoor appointments were being made in J&K Bank and the bank will not have resources in future to pay their salaries also.
The NC MLA said 1700 employees have been engaged and 1500 more are likely to be engaged and there are reports that Rs four lakh to Rs five lakh are charged from a candidate for giving him job in the bank.
He was interrupted by Minister of Finance, Haseeb Drabu who stood up saying that member is making comments without any substantiality. “Let him give proof”. However Kallu was supported by his senior party colleague, Mohammed Akbar Lone and he too joined the issue with Minister. Kallu asked the Minister that why did not J&K Bank called the advertisement. There were noisy scenes in the House as some ruling and opposition party members stood up from their seats and made allegations and counter allegations on each other.
Deputy Speaker Nazir Ahmed Gurezi however warned the members that nothing will be recorded. Later the Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Abdul Rehman Veeri said that the member has to prove the allegations. He said there are certain limits and no one should cross them. However the agitated Opposition continued ruckus in the House and Deputy Speaker adjourned the House for the day.
Kallu also took Government to task for imposing Rs 50 to 60 as Toll Tax on per bag of cement in the State. If outside cement was sold on less rates why the toll has been imposed as some body might be getting the benefit of the same behind the curtain, he added.
However, when Finance Minister asked the MLA to give him the name the MLA replied “ I am not quoting you, I know you are honest”,. He also alleged malpractice in appointment of SPOs and said one officer appointed SPO whose age was 45 years.
Earlier the backdoor appointment issue in J&K Bank was also raised by NC’s Ishfaq Jabbar who said that how can bank progress when the back door appointments were made in it. Leveling serious allegation on bank authorities, he said 4000 employees were appointed via back door.
He also alleged that some senior political leaders are defaulters of the Bank and when he was asked by coalition members to name them the NC MLA replied that he can name them but the Government knows all about them.
NC’s Ali Mohammed Sagar also took Government to task for backdoor appointments in the bank. He, while quoting last year’s address of Finance Minister had said that the condition of J&K Bank was bad and he wanted to know that what improvement the Government has made as its condition was the same. The bank is leading to bankruptcy and you are not taking precautions to save it, he added.
Sagar said “when such conditions will emerge tomorrow you will say that I had already cautioned you”.
However PDP’s Yawar Mir held the previous Government responsible and said that it damaged bank by appointing RBI as sole banking agency for JKB.
CPI (M) MLA, Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami said that despite the infusion of Rs 500 crore made by Government last year to help the J&K Bank, its health continues to deteriorate. “Our share in this Bank is around 59 percent and still the Bank is not accountable in the August House”, he added.
He said “what about the NPA amounting to thousands of crores you had mentioned in last year and why don’t you provide details to the House’? It can’t be left to the mercy of those who are responsible for its deterioration and he wanted to know that why don’t Government provide this House the opportunity to discuss its functioning.
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