JAMMU: The Lieutenant Governor, Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory on Thursday has directed the government machinery to perform their duties sans fear and favor.
Ironically, the reverse has happened in Higher Education Department (HED) whereat, massive resentment and anger has been expressed by the teaching faculty especially women folk over gross favoritism doled to men folk in the recently issued transfer order of Degree College Principals.
The aggrieved lot have asserted that three Men Friday-Principals of HED have allegedly been suitably accommodated to the detriment of others besides a few who were pre maturely transferred and accommodated in Jammu city.
For HED, only S.P.Saraswat and Ravinder Tickoo are seen as ‘competent’ to occupy the chair of Nodal Principal on rotation basis in Jammu Division for the last several years, says a lady Principal confiding anonymity and dumped in peripheral GDC.
The latest to be accommodated in this special club is BB.Anand who in the last 2 years changed 3 GDCs to finally come back in MAM, College, Jammu from GDC, Sidhara in a span of less than a year which is just a cake walk from the heart of Jammu city.
Earlier, he was posted at GDC, Kastigarh and from where he was transferred within months to GDC, Majalta. Subsequently, from GDC Majalta in less than a year he was adjusted as Principal in GDC, Sidhara.
Manisha Kohli was also prematurely transferred from GDC, Bani and adjusted in GDC, Kunjwani in city domain.
Terming the adjustment of Principal S.P.Saraswat and Ravinder Tickoo in twin women colleges of Jammu city as mockery of transfer policy, a lady Principal, confiding anonymity said, “This is an undesirable precedent established by predecessors and followed religiously by the incumbent Principal Secretary and this shows that the authority in HED has made up the mind not to dispense with duo Principals who are now popularly known as Indispensables of HED.
Recent transfer order of Principals predominantly reflect practice of favouritism for adjustment of ‘yes men’. In past, similar practice was practised by the babus in HED in respect of one Nutan Resutra and rest is a history in itself, opined Prof. S.K.Bhalla, a retired Principal and prominent anti graft activist.
Intercity transfer of officers is a glaring example of nepotism and favoritism which also contradicts the pious intention of LG who is all set to end culture of preferential treatment to a few influential lot in the system, avers another GDC, Principal.
As per a convention, the GDCs women in J&K used to be headed by women Principals as girl students are more comfortable with a female Head of the institution. “But for reasons best known to the concerned, this healthy practice has been trashed for those who allegedly have earned the distinction of down grading the NAAC ranking of the institutions where they sat for quite long time as Principal/Nodal.
Efforts to seek viewpoint of Principal, HED, Alok Kumar as well well Nodal Principal on the issue did not materialize despite our repeated efforts.