SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has closed the Regular Departmental Action (RDA) against six engineers and officials of the Public Works (R and B) Department after a de novo inquiry found no evidence to support allegations of excess payment, procedural irregularities or mala fide intent.
According to Government Order No. 257-PW(R and B) of 2026 dated July 15, 2026, the proceedings against Imtiyaz Ahmad Kirmani (then Executive Engineer), Tasadaq Hussain Dar (then Assistant Executive Engineer), Basharat Nazir Beigh (then Junior Engineer), Mohammad Amin Bhat (then Technical Officer), Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar (Draftsman) and Ashiq Hussain Thokar (Draftsman) have been formally closed with the approval of the competent authority.
The case stemmed from JSC-19/2009 and had earlier been closed in 2018. However, the General Administration Department (GAD) subsequently directed the Public Works Department to revisit the matter after raising observations regarding the procurement of electrical cable and the alleged variation between departmental purchase rates and payment bills.
The matter was later challenged before the High Court and subsequently transferred to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Srinagar Bench, which dismissed the case for non-prosecution in May 2023.
Following GAD’s advice, the department ordered a de novo inquiry and, through Government Order No. 364-PW(R and B) of 2025 dated December 9, 2025, appointed Er. Arshid Hussain Reshi, Superintending Engineer (Electric), O and M Circle, Ganderbal, KPDCL, as Inquiry Officer, with Er Tariq Bashir, Technical Officer in the Mechanical and Hospitals Directorate, Kashmir, as Presenting Officer.
The Inquiry Officer submitted his report on April 21, 2026, concluding that the tendering process and allotment of work had been carried out in accordance with the procedures and norms in force at the time. The inquiry also found the rate of Rs 2,875 per metre for the specified 11 KV XLPE insulated aluminium cable to be reasonable, justified and technically defensible.
The report further stated that there was no cogent documentary or other evidence to substantiate allegations of excess payment, procedural impropriety or mala fide intent. It also observed that Basharat Nazir Beigh had not joined the concerned sub-division when the rates were fixed and the procurement was approved.
The Inquiry Officer recommended that the charges be dropped, stating they were not sustainable and did not indicate any mala fide intention. The Public Works Department noted that an earlier inquiry report submitted in 2016 had also found no evidence of misconduct or loss to the government exchequer.
Accepting the findings of the latest inquiry, the competent authority approved the recommendation to drop the charges and close the Regular Departmental Action against all six officers and officials.
