Srinagar, Sep 10: Having admitted illegal appointments in municipal institutions in Kashmir, the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies had in April this year issued directions to the administrators of Municipal Councils and Committees to ‘not release the wages of backdoor appointees.’ But barely two days after issuing orders, the Director put the decision in abeyance, allegedly under political pressure, causing further loss to the state exchequer, documents accessed by Greater Kashmir have revealed.
 A circular (No. DULB / PS/004-50) Dated 09.04. 2012 issued by the Director ULB Kashmir SA Laharwal (a copy of which is with Greater Kashmir), reads that illegal appointments have been made over the years in different Municipal institutions of Kashmir division by “incompetent authorities without following the due procedures as envisaged in the relevant provisions of the law and the standing instructions of the government.” “The Government vide order NO. 110 – HUD of 2011, dated 20.04.2011 has constituted a committee to look into these irregularities and the panel has submitted its report to the government along with explicit recommendations,” it reads.
 The circular asked the administrators of Municipal Councils and Committees to “release the salary/wages only in favour of genuine employees of their respective institutions, who are appointed /placed by competent authorities under rules. Any deviation from these circular instructions shall be the sole responsibility of the concerned Executive Officer.”
 Surprisingly, two days after, the Director issued another circular vide No DULB/Estt-471-5115 to supersede his earlier circular seeking halt on wages of “illegal appointees.”
 “Pending decision on the report of high-level committee constituted by Government vide order No 110-HUD of 2011 dated: 20-04-2011 read with Government Order NO. 134-HUD of 2011 dated 3.6.2011with regard to illegal appointments in various Local Bodies of Kashmir Division, the circular instructions issued vide No. DULB/PS/ 004- 50, dated 09.04. 2011 are put in abeyance till further orders,” the circular reads.
 According to sources, the decision to put the circular on hold was done by the Director “under political pressure” as major beneficiaries (appointees) of the scam are either cadres of political parties or kith and kin of politicians, bureaucrats and officials.
 “Superseding the circular has raised many questions. First, there was nothing wrong in issuing a circular on stopping wages of backdoor appointees as they are draining state exchequer illegally. Going by the justification of Director for putting the order in abeyance, it seems that he has defied the hierarchy in Housing and Urban Development (HUDD) as the decision on the report was yet to be taken,” an official in H&UDD told Greater Kashmir.
 When contacted, Director ULB Kashmir, SA Laharwal said: “I put the circular on hold as inquiry on the issue is already going on at the higher level.”
 However, he failed to answer as to why the first circular was issued then.
 Insiders said hundreds of illegal appointments have been made in ULB’s of Jammu and Srinagar over the years and the funds raised from local tax collection are now used to meet their salaries.
 “Even the circular issued in April says the high level committee has submitted its report, but till date no action has been initiated on the recommendations,” they said, adding that after the recruitment racket surfaced last year, everybody from the concerned Minister to Director repeatedly went public on promising action against the illegal appointees.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 IST