Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Dec 20: In a blatant violation of norms, the Law Department has resorted to changes in the records of one of its senior officers by changing his cadre who was promoted as a Deputy Legal Remembrancer (DLR) pending confirmation from Departmental Promotion Committee and J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC).
The list of such employees that was sent by the Law Department to the Establishment-cum- Selection Committee headed by Chief Secretary on the advice of the JKPSC later granted sanction to the promotion, however, instead of showing the officer’s name in the Legal Gazetted Service, he was shown in the Law Officers Service.
Two others who got promoted instead of him as Deputy Legal Remembrancer are junior to the officer whose cadre was changed.
The concerned senior officer of the Law Department has also brought the issue into the notice of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) which has sought reply from the department; however, the department has not replied so far.
An official said that two junior officers dealing with the preparation of seniority lists and recommendations for regularization in the Law Department have fabricated the records.
His name in the recommendation was shown to be regularized as Public Law Officer vide G.O. no. 3464-LD(Estt) of 2019 dated:- 25.10.2019 instead of Assistant Legal Remembrancer and as Senior Law Officer vide Government Order no. 3497-LD (Estt) of 2019 dated: 26.10.2019 instead of Deputy Legal Remembrancer.
As per the order issued by the Government in 2019, sanction was accorded to the confirmation of the officer as “Public Law Officer” instead of Assistant Legal Remembrancer and as “Senior Law Officer” instead of Deputy Legal Remembrancer, while as the officer was never recommended for that thus, indicating changes in the records.
Earlier, the promotions of the various employees of the Law Department, including the senior officer in focus were not regularized and the list of such employees was sent to the JKPSC for confirmation of their promotion.
In the list that was sent to the JKPSC, it was mentioned that the senior officer’s promotion as Assistant Legal Remembrancer and thereafter as Deputy Legal Remembrancer was to be confirmed.
After the list that was submitted to the JKPSC, the Commission advised the Law Department that it should place the matter before the Cabinet for regularization of promotions of the employees of the Law Department which it did.
Further, for the regularization of ad-hoc promotions of the employees of the Law Department, the department prepared a note for submission to the Establishment-cum- Selection Committee.
The officer’s name figured at Serial Number 35 and it was mentioned in the note that the officer “was promoted in the officiating capacity as Assistant Legal Remembrancer since May 22, 2013 and as Deputy Legal Remembrancer since December 27, 2017.”
However, documents reveal that the applicant’s name was wrongly shown in the officers among the Law Officers Service whereas the reality is that the officer was promoted as Assistant Legal Remembrancer in Legal Gazetted Service.
Secretary to the Government, Law Department, Anchal Sethi, told Excelsior that the department has formed a committee in this regard which is looking into the case and that a decision will be taken as per its recommendations. “The representation that the concerned officer has filed is also before the committee,” he added.
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