Srinagar: The J&K administration has ordered a high-level probe into all illegal appointments/ regularisations made in the municipal bodies of Kashmir Valley during the past two decades.
A committee of officers headed by Director Urban Local Bodies Kashmir, Mathoora Masoom has been constituted to inquire into all illegal appointments made in the municipal councils and committees of the Valley since 2001.
Pertinently, the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies Kashmir, administers three municipal councils and 39 municipal committees.
According to an order, the committee while also has Showkat Ahmad Mir, Special Secretary (Legal), Housing & Urban Development department, and Alyaz Ahmad Naisroo, Secretary, Lakes & Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), as members, would hold a detailed enquiry into the illegal appointments/regularisations made in the Urban Local Bodies Kashmir from 2001 till date.
This is the second such enquiry into the alleged backdoor appointments in Kashmir’s Urban Local Bodies in the past 15 days.
On June 23, the government had ordered that Dr. Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Vice-Chairman, LAWDA would inquire into the appointments in Kashmir Urban Local Bodies by way of “illegal” relaxation of norms of age, educational qualifications, etc.
In the past two decades, more than 1500 persons have been allegedly appointed illegally in the Urban Local Bodies here on the recommendations of ministers, legislators and officers.
Earlier, a committee constituted during the NC-Congress regime had found that around 1800-2000 illegal appointments were made in the Urban Local Bodies of Kashmir between 2003 to 2010.
The inquiry team concluded that more than 20 officers were involved in the scam.
It had also recommended disengagement of illegal appointees as well as constitution of a special team of Vigilance to fix responsibilities. (With inputs from KNO)
