JAMMU: Flouting rules is not a new trend in Jammu Municipal Corporation where incumbent Commissioner, Avny Lavasa along with team of officers have initiated a herculean task to bring transparency in the working of an organization which earns ignominy for adhering to unwanted malpractices as a norm rather than exception.
From promotion of employees to regularization of daily wagers hired allegedly through corrupt means in nexus with NGOs almost everything in JMC is being manipulated and twisted by resorting to unfair means for extending undue benefits to a section of employees at the behest of some officers who are baffled with unfolding of one after another transparency initiatives in JMC.
Sharing details about plethora of unsolicited practices in JMC, Reliable sources said “The continuance of Surinder Kumar as Assistant Secretary in the organization is not in accordance with the 1970 service rules in vogue and is purely an act of favoritism and nepotism.”
Surinder Kumar was engaged in JMC as daily wager in late 1980s and later regularized as Sanitation Inspector in 1993 allegedly by flouting recruitment norms. In 1998, he was conferred with pay grade of 9300-34800 and appointed as Food Inspector.. Later, in the year 2009 he was posted as Assistant Secretary in a cryptic manner, reveals our sources in JMC
Stating that Assistant Secretary is a feeding cadre post which cannot be assigned to an employee belongs to other cadre, an official on condition of anonymity alleged “Surinder Kumar was promoted as Assistant Secretary in 2009 on own pay grade basis at the behest of the then Joint Commissioner Babu Ram who was batch mate of his younger brother” In record, he is a Food Safety Officer and there is no sanction taken from government to absorb him as Assistant Secretary by redesigning a budgetary post” added sources.
Further sharing details, the JMC insider reveals “Surinder Kumar was confirmed as Assistant Secretary in DPC held in the year 2016. Prior to DPC, the government has accorded approval for promotion of non gazette staff but there was no assent with regard to conversion of sanctioned post of Food Inspector held by Surinder Kumar into ministerial cadre post of Assistant Secretary” The then officers at the helm at that time manipulate the facts and confirmed him on a post by ignoring the eligible from feeding cadre, added sources.
It’s surprising to note that the budgetary post against which Surinder Kumar was appointed as Food Inspector in 1998 is still intact despite the fact that he was absorbed into feeding cadre post of Assistant Secretary. It’s a wonder that happened only in JMC, sarcastically avers an officer of JMC, adding that it’s a scandal pertaining to service matters which needs thorough investigation.
Extending favors to handful of persons through unfair means and fiddling with service rules is a prevalent practice in JMC and the recent proposal propounded by the establishment section to regularize 65 daily wagers through backdoor by fiddling with permanent class IV vacancies is another case in point.
“Entire proposal is buttress with lame dotted references by Assistant Secretary with a pre set mind to regularize 65 backdoor entrants by ignoring large scale allegations of collection of Rs 3 lakhs to Rs. 1.50 lakhs from the beneficiaries by agents of JMC employees” alleged JMC insiders.
There are also allegations against Assistant Secretary for sitting over files as per his likes and dislikes against the employees of JMC. “Large number of DEs are biting dust in his office which doesn’t suit his interests, alleged an officer of JMC on condition of not disclosing his identity.
“On the basis of some complaints, one Bodh Raj posted in the section of Assistant Secretary got transferred to Health wing by the then Joint Commissioner, Ashish Gupta. With the transfer of Jt Commissioner (A), he managed his transfer to his previous section at the behest of Assistant Secretary” he further alleged.