3 Govt Officials Sacked For ‘Anti-State’ Activities

Srinagar: Three government officials including an assistant professor were dismissed from service over alleged anti-state activities in Jammu and Kashmir, drawing strong criticism from PDP president Mehbooba Mufti who said the government has “misplaced priorities” during the pandemic.

It’s the first such action after the administration formed a committee last month that is empowered to look into allegations of involvement in anti-state activities against government employees and recommend dismissal.

The separate orders against Assistant Professor, Geography, Government Degree College, Women, Udhampur, Abdul Bari Naik, Naib Tehsildar, Pulwama II, Nazir Ahmad Wani and Teacher Government Middle School, Kralpora (Kupwara) Idrees Jan were uploaded by the General Administration Department (GAD) on its website on Monday. According to the identical orders, the dismissal of the three officials was directed by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on April 30 under sub-clause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution and stated that it is not expedient to hold an inquiry in these cases.

The orders said the Lt Governor is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and on the basis of the information available that the activities of Naik, Wani and Jan are such as to warrant their dismissal from service.

The orders said the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied under sub-clause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold an enquiry in their cases.

Officials said the three officials were named in separate FIRs and also underwent detention.

Naik, a resident of Kulgam, was arrested in March from his rented accommodation in Udhampur, where he was posted about a fortnight back, in connection with four pending cases about radicalisation of youth in his south Kashmir home town, the officials said.

Similarly, they said two FIRs are registered against Jan, a resident of north Kashmir Kupwara district, in police station Kralpora for allegedly inciting people to violence in 2010 and 2016. He had also undergone four months of detention under Public Safety Act.

Pertinently, the GAD had issued an order on April 21 in which sanction was accorded to the constitution of STF for identifying and scrutinizing the government employees who are involved in anti-national activities and pose a threat to the country’s security, and will be terminated from services, if found guilty.

According to the order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), sanction was given to the constitution of a Special Task Force, for identifying and scrutinizing cases of government employees, to initiate the process under Government Order No. 738-JK(GAD) of 2020 dated 30.07.2020, for action in terms of provisions of Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India.

The order had further stated that Additional Director General of Police (CID) has been nominated as Chairman of the committee and Inspector General of Police, Jammu/Kashmir, Representative of Home Department not Member below the rank of Additional Secretary, Representative of Department of Law, Justice Member & Parliamentary Affairs not below the rank of Additional Secretary and Representative of the Concerned Department, as necessary, not below the rank of Additional Secretary shall be the members.

“The terms of reference of the Special Task Force shall be to scrutinize cases of employees suspected of activities requiring action under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India,” the order had said.

The order had also empowered the STF to compile records of such employees, wherever necessary and to refer it to the Committee constituted vide Government Order No. 738-JK(GAD) of 2020 dated 30.07.2020. It also orders STF to engage with other members of the Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) for identifying such other employees, as necessary besides taking the assistance of other Agencies and Department(s) in this regard, as necessary.

“The Special Task Force shall speedily scrutinize such cases in a time-bound manner and shall be serviced by the Criminal Investigation Department,” the order added.

Mehbooba, Bukhari Slam Sacking Spree

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti and her political opponent Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari of J&K Apni Party on Monday criticised the government for sacking a government employee on alleged charges of his anti-national activities.

PDP president Mehbooba said that government has misplaced priorities during the pandemic.

She also posted a three-day-old letter of the General Administration Department of the Jammu and Kashmir government which sacked Idrees Jan, a government teacher from Kupwara district.

Besides Jan, an assistant professor and a revenue department official have also been terminated from services for being a “threat to the state”.

“In the middle of a pandemic GOI should focus on saving lives instead of firing govt employees on flimsy grounds in Kashmir. No wonder its misplaced priorities have converted India into shamshanghats & kabristans. The living continue to suffer & the dead are deprived of dignity,” the former chief minister tweeted.

J&K Apni Party President and former minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari also termed the expulsion as an unfortunate and avoidable decision that has deprived a poor family of its livelihood in highly pressing times.

It seems that some elements within the system have misled the Lt Governor on such a sensitive subject which has fuelled the level of insecurity and alienation among the people especially the employees working in the government sector.

It is ironical that the accused teacher was not provided any opportunity to speak or defend himself against the charges leveled against him, Bukhari said in a statement reacting to the dismissal of Jan, and appealed to the LG to revisit his decision. (PTI)

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