SRINAGAR: There is simmering discontent prevailing among employees against in-charge Director, Craft Development Institute (CDI) for according promotion cum up-gradation to his spouse allegedly in absence of any specified recruitment rules for an autonomous institute established by the Government of India with grant in aid assistance.
The order No 14-CDI of 2022 dated 31/3/2022 issued by the Director, Handicraft and Handloom/CDI, Masood Ahmad Shah reads “In terms of General Service Rules of CDI and as recommended by the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC), constituted vide G.O No 42 IND of 2022 dated 15/3/2022, sanction is hereby accorded to the promotion/up-gradation of Ms. Farhana Mustafa Buchh, Assistant Grade II (Group B) to the post of Grade III (Group –B) in the Pay level 6 (35400-112400) notionally from the date of the eligibility w.e.f 1/1/2022”.
Revealing interesting series of developments which finally culminate in promotion of Shah’s spouse, the sources said “Vide transfer order No 1166-JK (GAD) of 2021, dated 1/11/2021 Director, Handloom and Handicraft, Kashmir-Mehmood Shah was posted as Director, Industries and Commerce, Kashmir. Surprisingly, in an arrangement of its own kind, this order further favoured Shah with additional charge of 3 significant departments –Director, Handicraft & Handloom (Kashmir), Director, CDI and Executive Director, J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute”.
Further giving details, the sources said “The Director CDI has promoted his wife through DPC which was constituted on the strengthen of Order No 24-JK(IND) of 2022 dated 10/2/2022 wherein, the Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, Ranjan P Thakur has transferred Administrative Control of CDI from Skill Development Department to DCI vide G.O No 21-IND of 2022 dated 3/2/2022.
“This promotion is purely an act of favouritism as DPC of DHHK is not “competent” to accord promotion to an employee of CDI as it’s an autonomous institute established in 2004 by office of Development Commissioner-Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India and DCI, J&K for development of crafts items.
The CDI is managed and governed by an Executive Committee (EC) who is the only authorised body to hire and promotes employees, avers reliable sources in Department of Industries and Commerce, UT of J&K.
Vide G.O No 373-JK(GAD) of 202 dated 26/4/2021, the EC of CDI, Srinagar is comprised of Administrative Secty, Skill Development Dept and Director, Skill Development Dept, J&K as Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively whereas the 8 members which includes DHHK (Sgr), Representative of Finance Dept, Representative of Planning and Monitoring Dept, Executive Director of National Institute of Design (Ahmadabad), Director of NIFT-Sgr, Chairman of Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (New Delhi), President –CCI (Kashmir) and HoD, Management Studies, KU whereas the Director CDI is member secretary of the EC.
Blaming the representative of Administrative Department of Industries Department in DPC for keeping the higher ups in dark about the rules governing the promotion of CDI employees, sources alleged “Entire process pertaining to promotion of Shah’s wife Farhana through DPC is based on flimsy grounds and in violation of rules and regulations governing the management of CDI”.
“For engagement of employees in CDI, there are no recruitment rules notified in Govt Gazette and accordingly the DPC is only meant for employees of government departments. Employees of an autonomous institutes can’t promote/upgraded through DPC” added an employee of DHHK, confiding anonymity.
Sharing the document pertaining to promotion case of CDI employee namely Sajjad Nazir Wani, the sources avers “The Director CDI, Srinagar vide its order No CDI/HR/Engagement/01/2017-18/01 dated 7th March, 2017 promoted Wani against the sanctioned post of Faculty only after the promotion case was granted approval by the Executive Committee of CDI.
This is appropriate way to promote employees of an autonomous institute- CDI, rest all other exercise are sham which lacks legal sanctity, added sources.
Principal Secretary, DCI Ranjan Thakur didn’t respond to our repeated calls and interestingly also block JK Global News on watsapp. However, the DHHK- Masood Ahmad Shah, while clarifying on the matter said “The promotion of her spouse accorded on the basis of merits and recommendation of DPC which was constituted with the approval of administrative department”
He brushed aside allegations of favouritism in DPC as merely gimmicks of disgruntled employees who only believes in hijacking the system for their self interests.