Daily Rated Worker Becomes Exen: Govt Forms Panel To See How ‘Unheard Of’ Happened, Recover Losses To Exchequer

Srinagar, May10: The Jammu and Kashmir government has formed a three-member committee headed by Secretary Rural Development and Panchayat Raj to establish reasons for “illegal” promotion of Daily Rated Worker to Executive Engineer in the department, underling that “such gross violation of rules, is unheard of in services or departments.
Following an inquiry, the employee Abdul Qayoom Chalkoo was relegated from executive engineer (gazetted rank) to his original position as a daily rated worker in district Baramulla on March 20 this year and asked to report in the office of assistant commissioner (development) Baramulla for further duties
The committee, with Director General Accounts & Treasuries and Secretary (Legal) GAD as members, has also tasked to identify the officers and officials responsible for these flagrant violation of rules.
Asked to submit report by June 5, the committee has been specifically asked to establish the reasons and circumstances which have led to “such gross violation of rules, which is unheard of in services/departments.”
Besides it has been tasked to quantify the extent of losses caused to the Government exchequer on account of “illegal promotions/release of grade to an ineligible candidate and also mode of recovery.
Earlier this month, J&K High Court stayed a government order by virtue of which Chalkoo was relegated to DRW after his counsel submitted that the action against his client has been done without holding a regular inquiry and without adhering to the principles of natural justice and the constitutional guarantees as envisaged under Article 311(2) of the constitution of India.
As per the inquiry report, Chalkoo was regularized against the vacant post of works supervisor on 21-12-2000 and was later allowed to work against vacant post of junior engineer in district Baramulla in his own pay and grade.
“The engagement/promotion of the official as the junior engineer from works supervisor was not made after following due procedure as required for such services,” the inquiry officer said.
The inquiry officer said that Chalkoo was initially engaged as DRW on 11-06-1993 and later on regularized as works supervisor. He was allowed to work as a junior engineer till 28-12-2002 and later on regularized as a junior engineer with effect from 28-12-2000.
He was regularized as Assistant engineer on the notional basis from 25-10-2005 and regularly from 17-10-2011 on the recommendations of DPC.
After the inquiry, he was reverted back to his original position as a daily rated worker in district Baramulla on March 20 this year and asked to report in the office of assistant commissioner (development) Baramulla for further duties.