Continuing its campaign against corruption, the Jammu and Kashmir administration forcibly retired eight employees on Thursday, including four officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) and three employees of the Food Supplies Department.
The Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Rules state that any employee who has completed 22 years of service or has attained the age of 48 years, the government can also retire him in the public interest. All eight employees have been forcibly retired on charges of corruption and misbehaviour.
According to sources, Ravindra Kumar Bhat, the mission director of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), was accused of corruption in various departments. The then Vigilance Department (now Anti-Corruption Bureau) had registered a corruption case against Bhat in 2015. While serving as an assistant commissioner in the revenue department of Budgam, Bhat had illegally transferred land under the Roshni scheme. It is alleged that he arbitrarily fixed the price of the ground below the prevailing price in the market. The said officer, while working with the beneficiaries, caused massive loss to the government. In October 2019, approval was also given to prosecute the said officer. Not only this, when he was the Director in the Department of Rural Development, he was also caught in a corruption case. They made massive purchases by not following the tender process. The Anti-Corruption Bureau busted it by conducting a surprise inspection.
The administration also forcibly retired Mohammad Qasim Wani, an Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service officer and Regional Director of Survey and Land Records. According to sources, when Wani was the district program officer in the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), he had bought substandard items at exorbitant rates. Wani was also booked under corruption charges. The government approved the prosecution of Wani in the year 2020. A charge sheet has also been filed against him in the trial court. Wani has bought the property in the name of his wife.
Noor Alam, deputy director of the Administrative Reforms Institute and Training Department, has also been forcibly retired. The action was taken after investigating the cases registered against him. Alam earned lakhs of rupees by abusing his position while working in various departments. The Anti-Corruption Bureau reported the case in the year 2019. Four of his properties were also attached. These include a house in Jammu, a plot of 10 marlas in Jammu, a plot of three Kanal and another plot of 10 marlas. Apart from this, he also made a lot of property in the name of his wife. Many vehicles were also found near him.
Another Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service officer, Mohammad Mujeeb ur Rehman, has also been forcibly retired. He is already under suspension. During his job in the cooperative department, he gave a loan of Rs 223 crore to an unnamed organization which was nowhere to be found.
Dr Fiaz Ahmed Bande, Block Medical Officer (BMO) of Birwan, Kashmir, is the fifth officer to be forcibly retired. He is already under suspension. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered a case against him. He is accused of misappropriating Rs 1,15,89,851 from Birwan Treasury by showing fake salary bills. Self-check issued from the official account.
At the same time, the administration has also forcibly retired Rakesh Kumar Pargal, the then Junior Assistant in the Food Supply Department, Udhampur. He was already under suspension. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered a case against him. He has been accused of misappropriation of Rs 260 crore. He is charged with misusing the mill owners, contractors.
The administration has also forcibly retired Ghulam Mohiuddin, the then Junior Assistant and presently Junior Assistant in the Food Supplies Department Store. At the same time, the administration has also forcibly retired Purushottam Kumar, the then storekeeper of Panchairi.
The action was taken on:
