J&K: Another official sacked in interest of security

SRINAGAR: Days after dismissing a school teacher from services for his being allegedly involved in anti-national activities, Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday fired a senior revenue official on the same charges.

The official sources said J&K’s Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, has, after considering the facts and circumstances of the case, observed that on the basis of the information available, the activities of revenue official Nazir Ahmad Wani who is currently posted as Naib (deputy) Tehsildar in southern Pulwama district, warrant his dismissal from service in the ‘interest of the security of the state’.

Subsequently, an order issued by the government reads, “Accordingly, the Lieutenant Governor hereby dismisses Nazir Ahmad Wani from service with immediate effect”. It further says, “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 inquiry in the case of Nazir Ahmad Wani, Naib Tehsildar, Pulwama – II.”

Last week, the government had fired a school teacher Idrees Jan, who was posted at the Government Middle School in the frontier district of Kupwara invoking the same constitutional provision.

The government actions have evoked severe criticism by various political parties in J&K. Former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said, “In the middle of a pandemic, the Government of India should focus on saving lives instead of firing government employees on flimsy grounds in Kashmir.”

She added, “No wonder the government’s misplaced priorities have converted India into shamshan ghats (crematoriums) and kabristans (cemeteries). The living continue to suffer and the dead are deprived of dignity.”

Last month, the J&K government constituted a Special Task Force (STF) for identifying and scrutinizing its employees involved in any activity detrimental to the security of the country or deemed as anti-national.

An order issued by J&K’s General Administration Department (GAD) gave sanction for the constitution of a STF which, it said, would be authorised to identify and scrutinize cases of government employees found involved in such activity and refer these to the government for action against them in terms of provisions of Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India.

Additional Director General of Police (CID) were nominated as chairperson of the committee which will have Inspectors General of Police from Jammu and Kashmir Valley, representatives of Home, Law, Justice Member and Parliamentary Affairs and those of the concerned department of the employee under scrutiny as members.

According to the GAD, the STF “shall speedily scrutinize such cases in a time-bound manner and shall be serviced by the Criminal Investigation Department”.

The J&K government has, while pursuing a tough policy against what it sees as their anti-national activities and violation of Government Servants Conduct Rules, sacked a large number of its employees over a period of time. These rules lay down that no government servant shall take part in, subscribe in aid of, or assist in any way, any political movement in the country or relating to its affairs.