Srinagar: Alleging nepotism in recruitment to various government posts, opposition National Conference (NC) today demanded a judicial probe in to the matter including into the role of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti even as the ruling PDP sought to dismiss the charges as "political gimmickry".
For the last few days, certain issues have come to the fore which have direct connection with the chief minister and her immediate family. Whether her cousins, uncle or her close aides, who are office bearers in her party, their children have been given government jobs and the recruitment process of various autonomous boards has been corrupted and diluted," NC spokesperson Junaid Mattu alleged while speaking to reporters here.
The NC demands a judicial probe into the allegations of nepotism as every department and institution of the state has been made has been made a wing of PDP, he said.
We are demanding a court-monitored judicial probe, in all these appointments, directly against the chief minister of the state. She is the primary culprit. If she accepts moral standards, I dont think she should continue on the chair, Mattu alleged.
We demand answers from the chief minister, he said. "On a lighter note, we do not know whether she is wazir-e-aala (chief minister) or wazir-e-khala (minister of her family)," he said taking a jibe.
Mattu claimed the NC had detailed proof of illegal recruitments and embezzlements by the ruling party.
This is not a political rhetoric, it is specific investigation. We have detailed proof. We have to raise questions and whereabouts is no exoneration. Criminal offenses have been committed and somebody needs to go to jail. If that somebody is somebody from the chief minister's family, then so be it. Law is supreme. Shams of probes will not work. We will give you specific proof of the chief minister's and her close aides' involvement in mass corruption and nepotism, he claimed.
Another NC leader Tanveer Sadiq said rules were flouted in the recruitment process for Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) to accommodate "blue-eyed" persons.
Ruling PDP vice president Sartaj Madni's son figured in the selection list which was released recently. Madni is the maternal uncle of the chief minister. The appointment of Madani's son Syed Aroot Madni - as an executive officer in the autonomous KVIB had led to questions being raised.
While the Supreme Court order for conducting recruitment examinations lays down that 80 per cent marks are for written paper and 20 per cent for viva, for KVIB the rules were bent by having 60 per cent marks for written exams and 30 per cent for viva and 10 per cent for experience. Why? Just to favour their own people, Sadiq said.
He said a Delhi-based private agency was given a contract to conduct the recruitment without following any codal formalities and criteria.
Also, it is alleged that all of Syed Aroot Madni's certificates are fake and that is why he quit. If the allegations are false, then let him show his certificates, the NC leader said.
Both the leaders alleged irregularities in recruitment in various government departments and autonomous bodies as well as in the Jammu and Kashmir Bank.
This is genocide of merit. The bank has become an employment wing of the PDP, he alleged.
The NC spokesperson claimed relatives of several legislators and constituency in-charges of the ruling party were adjusted in Social Welfare Department in the Integrated Child Development Services scheme.
Mattu alleged that last year 220 people, most of them PDP activists, were taken to the National Institute of Sports for a certification course by the State Sports Council. The NC leaders also alleged that thousands of PDP activists were appointed special police officers (SPOs).
There is not a single department where they haven’t made illegal appointments, the NC leaders said.
Reacting to the allegations, PDP chief spokesman Rafi Mir said the appointments have been done in a transparent manner and the opposition charge was just political gimmickry.
The government has ordered a probe into the issue of KVIB recruitment. While the normal procedure was adopted for recruitment and in our view, it happened in a transparent manner, the government has still ordered an investigation, Mir said.
Asked about the accusations of illegal recruitment in other departments, the PDP chief spokesman said some appointments are contractual or casual in nature which does not require any processes to be followed.
There are contractual or casual engagements where no process is required. They are temporary and need based. But, now the government has put a ban on them as well, he said.
Mir said J&K Bank was an autonomous institution and follows its own process for recruitment which consists of a written test and an interview. Normal processes have been followed but the opposition has to do it and they are, he said, adding NCs allegations were just political gimmickry.