SrinagarThe Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday directed concerned authorities to provide records about the selections made in the Khadi and Village Industry Board (KVIB) recently in which the son of PDP vice president Sartaj Madani was among those appointed as executive officers.
A single bench of the court comprising Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey also directed a high level-committee headed by Secretary Home Department R K Goel, probing the selections, to collect the records from the office of Khadi and Village Industries Board.
On the basis of examination of the records, Committee to expedite their enquiry within one month, the court said.
An aggrieved candidate Tamseel Hussain Khan has approached the court, challenging the selections of the four candidates against the post of Executive Officer.
Khan has challenged selection on varied grounds with particular reference that the selection process was initiated by violating all the norms and laws on the subject.
He submitted that noticing hue and cry raised by the aggrieved candidates, the Government has constituted a High Level Committee for conducting enquiry headed by R. K. Goel, Principal Secretary Home Department. The respondents 5 to 8 (four selected candidates) shall not be given benefit arising out of the selection/appointment till next date before the Bench, the court said, directing the government to file response to the petition by May 7.
The court asked Senior Additional Advocate General B. A. Dar to apprise the Principal Secretary Home about the orders passed by it so as to enable him to submit the compliance report.
Former Chief Minister and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah had termed Madnis appointment as fraud and demanded a High Court-monitored investigation into the case.
Amid the opposition’s charges of nepotism and “backdoor entries,” the government has apparently been goaded into action by persistent questions by the opposition.
Though Mehbooba Mufti had said on February 25 that the inquiry would be headed by the chief secretary, the probe panel announced has principal secretary in the home department at the helm, and principal secretary government H&ME department, Dr Pawal Kotwal, and secretary school education, Farooq Ahmad Shah, as its other two members.
The appointments came under question after the name of Syed Aroot Madni, son of PDP vice-president SartajMadni, figured in the selection list. Madni was selected as executive officer in the KVIB.
The High Level Inquiry Committee has been tasked to enquire into the complaints relating to the selections made by the J&K KVIB against various posts; determine as to whether proper procedure as laid down in the relevant rules has been followed; enquire into the methodology in selecting the agency(ies) for setting the question papers, evaluation process etc; and ascertain whether any deviation has been made in the selection process from advertising the posts to the release of selection lists.
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