Budgam: Just days after allegations of illegal appointments of ‘Helpers’ surfaced in the health department of the Budgam district, the Jammu and Kashmir government issued a warning letter to Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Budgam saying that henceforth, the CMO will be held responsible in case of any illegal appointments in the department.
Sources in the health department of district Budgam disclosed to Kashmir Images that many illegal appointments have been made by the higher authorities during last few months.
A communiqué order under number DHSK/Acctts/9282 issued by the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) — a copy of which lies with the Kashmir Images — addressed to the CMO reads: “You (CMO) are hereby warned that in case any kind of engagements are made in district Budgam, you, as the district officer shall be held responsible for the consequences.”
The communiqué further reads that: “Your attention is invited towards an important issue regards the inputs being received by this Directorate from various corners with regard to the attempts which are being allegedly made for fraudulent engagement of Safaiwallas/Helpers in district Budgam.”
In the communiqué, the DHSK warned the CMO by asserting that: any loss to the state exchequer shall be recovered from your personal salary account/pensionary benefits.
When Kashmir Images contacted the concerned CMO in order to seek his comments about the ‘warning letter’ served to him by DHSK, he said that he has no knowledge about who is making illegal appointments in the health department.
“I have asked the Block Development Officers of the Budgam district to keep a track on the appointments, whatsoever, being made in the health department here and on finding any wrongfulness in the same, they should bring it in the notice of higher authorities,” said the CMO Budgam, Dr Ghulam Mohammad Dar.
