No transparent procedure

26/06/2019

Finally, axe has fallen on all the need based workers who were engaged in the Jammu and Kashmir State Industrial Development Corporation Limited (SIDCO) from time to time under political pressure and on extraneous considerations. Moreover, the Superintending Engineer and Executive Engineers of the Corporation have been explicitly told to be cautious in future failing which penal action will be taken against them.This issue even figured in the Legislative Assembly in the year 2018 and following much hue and cry by the Members of the House the then Minister for Industries and Commerce had made a statement justifying the engagement of such persons. He had stated that engagements were made keeping in view insufficient manpower and will be discontinued strictly as per the terms and conditions. As there was no disengagement, some complaints were filed before the State Vigilance Organization (now Anti-Corruption Bureau) and accordingly preliminary enquiry was conducted. During investigation it came to the fore that the engagements were made without making any advertisement thus violating the rules and procedure.
In the meanwhile, a committee comprising of General Manager (P&A), General Manager (ROJ), General Manager (F) and Manager Legal/Secretary was constituted in the SIDCO to examine the manner and furnish the report. The committee after thorough deliberation observed that proper procedure was not adopted by the Superin-tending Engineer and concerned Executive Engineers while engaging these workers, who were even not disengaged on the expiry of 89 days. In case of any further need for ongoing project like NIFT and others the Corporation shall engage such workers by making advertisement in the newspaper with proper transparency and due approval of the Board. All Drawing and Disbursing Officers and Controlling Officers shall submit an undertaking that there is no such engagement left out under any head after issuance of this order and if found so they shall be liable to be penalized in terms of instructions mentioned in the Circular No.30-GAD of 2019 dated May 24, 2019.
It is pertinent to mention here that during the period between 2015 and 2017 SIDCO was entrusted with the responsibilities to execute various time bound State and Centrally Sponsored Schemes and projects like TAMEIR, NIFT, MSME and TFC Salamabad. However, instead of following rules and procedure the Managing Directors of the Corporation engaged these need-based workers purely on extraneous considerations and on the pressure of politicians. Even the politically connected need-based workers were given the privilege of not coming to the duties and staying either at their native places or performing duties in the residences of the Managing Directors. It has yet not come to the fore as to whether such illegally engaged persons in the SICOP have also been disengaged as this Corporation was also named by the then Industries and Commerce Minister in the Legislative Assembly.

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