KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
The State Vigilance Commission Monday directed Commissioner/secretary to Government, Education Department to initiate a Regular Departmental Enquiry against the then Chief Education Officer Budgam in alleged large scale bunglings and irregularities in selection of class -IV employees in Education Department of District Budgam.
“The State Vigilance Commission taking cognizance of unfair, injudicious and arbitrary selection of Class-IV employees made by the Chief Education Office, Budgam after inviting applications from candidates vide Advertisement Notice No: CEOB/NT/Advert/14/22349 Dated 05.02.2014 on the allegations levelled in the complaint that in the said selection process there was favouritism and nepotism shown by members of the Selection Committee, moreover, the candidates who even failed to get their place in the short list were later on in connivance with the members of the Selection Committee and other officials of the concerned Department shown selected in final selection list, observed that the exercise carried out puts a question mark on selection procedure. Further the members of the selection committee, in order to give benefit to their nears and dears and to accommodate them in the selection list gave more points in the interview to the candidates having low academic merit and less points to the candidates having higher academic merit thus rendering meritorious candidates out of race for final selection,” a statement issued by SVC said this afternoon.
The State Vigilance Commission while taking strong notice of illegalities and misdeeds committed by the Selection Committee got enquiry conducted in the matter and the report submitted by the Director School Education, Kashmir prima-facie revealed that there has been gross violation of standing Government orders and norms besides favouritism and abuse of official position by the then Chief Education Officer Budgam who adopted arbitrary method for selection of the candidates.
The report further disclosed violation of standing rules and norms in order to give unwarranted benefit to their kith and kins by the members of Selection Committee thus rendering the whole selection process non-transparent and a biased one. After the initiation of enquiry by the Commission in January last year the Government quashed the selection list on 24th April, 2015, the statement said.
The State Vigilance Commission taking serious note of glaring favouritism and patent illegalities committed by the responsible officers in preparing the selection list of Class IV employees directed Commissioner/Secretary to Government, Education Department to initiate Regular Departmental Enquiry against the concerned Chief Education Officer Budgam and others involved and complete the same within a period of two months and submit the compliance report thereof before the Commission by19.05.2016.
