KL Report
SRINAGAR
A Division Bench of State High Court comprising of Chief Justice M.M.Kumar and Justice Hasnain Masoodi while expressing displeasure over the incomplete information with regard to the ‘Dead Wood’ in the administration directed the State of Jammu and Kashmir to file fresh supplementary Status Report disclosing the job done by a High Powered Committee (HPC) constituted by the Government in May 2011 under the chairmanship of then Chief Secretary Madhav Lal.
The Division Bench directed Senior Additional Advocate Gagan Basotra to file the fresh Status Report before the adjourned date of hearing indicating the job done by the HPC.
According to Srinagar based news agency CNS, on Tuesday when the Public Interest Litigation filed by two social activists: Professor S.K.Bhalla and Shiekh Muhammad Shafi came up for hearing, advocate Shiekh Shakeel Ahmed appearing for the petitioners submitted that as per the status report filed by General Administration Department, it is disclosed that 76 Officers have already been prematurely retired from Government Servives and in addition to this 4 cases have also been referred to the Committee for consideration in terms of Article 226 (2) of J&K Civil Service Regulation Act.
Advocate Ahmed pointed out that these 76 Officials referred in the Status Report were retired prematurely prior to the date of the constitution of the HPC. Upon this the DB issued direction to the Government for disclosing the job done by the HPC.
In another development in this much publicized PIL, the State Government in its Status Report informed the DB that presently 22 Officials have been provided to the State Vigilance Commission (SVC) for managing immediate requirements till the posts are created on regular basis.
Advocate Ahmed apprised the Court that SVC has requested for creation of 82 posts of different categories on the pattern of Central Vigilance Commission.
He invited the attention of DB towards the fact that the matter with regard to the creation of the 82 posts for SVC has been referred to the Finance Department for its concurrence last month by GAD.
After going through Status Report the DB issued directions to the Government to come forward with an order regarding the creation of the posts on the next date of hearing.
The DB in open court also took note of inadequate staff in the State Accountability Commission (SAC) and State Information Commission (SIC) and issued directions to the State of Jammu and Kashmir to fill up the vacancies lying vacant on need basis before the adjournment date of hearing.
