PDP, BJP Appoint Their Functionaries As VCs of PSUs

JAMMU: The PDP and BJP parties, which are running a coalition government in J&K, have appointed sixteen (16) top party functionaries as Vice-Chairpersons (VCs) of several Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) on a consolidated monthly salary of Rs 80,000/- (Eighty Thousand only) in addition to perks and allowances admissible under relevant rules to be borne by the government but not the concerned corporations and the autonomous bodies already running in red and overburdened with huge liabilities.

The appointees include those from Peoples Conference led by Sajad Gani Lone who is an ally of the right wing – BJP – in the coalition government.

Authoritative sources while disclosing this to KNS revealed that the appointments have been ordered with the approval of the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Commissioner/Secretary General Administration Department Khursheed Shah when contacted confirmed that government has sent the appointment orders to the concerned Public Sector Undertaking (PSUs) and autonomous bodies.

Pertinently, the government has already appointed Peerzada Mansoor Hussain as Vice-Chairman J&K Khadi and Village Industries Board while Rafi Ahmad Mir is working as Vice-Chairman J&K Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC).

According to new order, Nizam-Ud-Din Bhat presently working as Chairman Horticulture Development Board has been appointed Vice-Chairman Handloom Development Corporation and it remains to be seen that whether Bhat will continue to hold the post of Vice-Chairman Horticulture Development Board or not. Just two days back, Bhat had attended a meeting of the Horticulture Development Board as its Vice-Chairman and the meeting was presided over by Horticulture Minister Syed Basharat Bukhari.

Interestingly, government during the recent budget session of the assembly vowed to take steps for the revival of all those Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) which have turned defunct and are facing huge losses since last several decades.

According to the order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), Abdul Salam Reshi will be vice-Chairman State Forest Corporation; Gulzar Ahmad vice-Chairman J&K Industries Ltd; Mir Bashir vice-Chairman J&K Minerals Ltd; Parvez Ahmad J&K State Road Transport Corporation; Vijay Dogra vice-Chairperson J&K Women’s Development Corporation; Manmohan Singh J&K Medical Supplies Corporation; Rashid Ahmad J&K Agro Industries Development Corporation; GM Mir vice-Chairman J&K Horticulture (Produce & Marketing) Development Corporation; Khalid Jehangir vice-Chairman J&K Projects Construction Corporation; Virender Singh vice-Chairman J&K Police Housing Corporation; Balbir Ram J&K Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribes & Other Backward classes Development Corporation; Munish Sharma vice-Chairman JAKFED; Nizam Ud Din Bhat vice-Chairman J&K Handloom Development Corporation; Nazir Itoo vice-Chairman J&K Cements Ltd; Ali Mohammad Mir vice-Chairman J&K Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (SICOP) and Subash Jandial J&K State Industries Dev Corporation (SIDCO).

MCC Violated, NC Petitions ECI

National Conference on Friday filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) over official instructions issued by the Chief Minister’s Office for some high-profile appointments being made to various Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) and said this was “a brazen violation” of the Model Code of Conduct after the issuance of the electoral notification for the Parliament Segments of Srinagar and Anantnag.

National Conference Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani filed the complaint with the Election Commission of India on behalf of the party and asked the ECI to take cognizance of such an order or series of orders that could be used to influence the conduct and fairness of elections in the State and to undermine the established regulations.

“We have filed the complaint with the ECI and appealed that they take immediate cognizance and try to ascertain the factual position and ensure strict adherence to the regulations and code of conduct,” the NC Provincial President said in a statement.

The NC Provincial President lashed out at the Chief Minister for “rubbing salt into the wounds of thousands” of unemployed youth of the State who have been promised jobs in lieu of political support to her party. “On one hand our Chief Minister is promising jobs to the youth in lieu of their support, and on the other hand she is giving high-paying, extra-ordinary jobs with handsome salaries to defeated candidates and political office bearers of PDP and BJP. These Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) are already under fiscal stress for various reasons and especially in light of this Government’s poor handling. Now – in order to extract political favours and dole out political appointments – she is further burdening these units both financially and also by foisting nontechnical and completely inexperienced individuals to head technical corporations and boards. This is a cruel joke with the people and especially the youth,” the NC Provincial President added.

Claim Of Good Governance Mere Hoax: Tarigami

While reacting over to the reports that PDP-BJP government has appointed 16 party functionaries of ruling PDP and BJP as Vice-Chairpersons of various Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs), communist lawmaker, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, on Friday said that at a time when these PSEs were not even in a position to pay salaries to their employees, “such decision was taken by the government to rehabilitate their favourites”.

“The decision that cabinet size should not cross 15 percent of the total strength of the Assembly was taken to reduce burden on public exchequer. But with the addition of so many people as Vice Chairpersons, the PDP-BJP government has found a new way to rehabilitate their near and dear ones at the cost of public exchequer,” he said in a statement to KNS.

Reminding Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his “maximum governance, less government” claims, the CPI (M) member said, “what conclusion should be drawn from the fact that 16 ruling party leaders have been appointed through backdoor and they will paid a huge salary of Rs 80,000 per month in addition to perks and allowances from PSEs running in loss. The decision of coalition government to appoint 16 of its members as Vice Chairpersons is against the spirit of the sizing the ministry.”

“All the Corporations where the ruling party members have been appointed as Vice Chairpersons are already running in losses and are ailing. To generate the salary of employees of these Corporations is a big task and casual labours are without wages for months. The Aspirations of people for good governance has become a distant dream” he added.

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