H&UDD orders inquiry into illegal appointments

June 18, 2022

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The Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD) has yet again ordered an in-depth inquiry into the illegal appointments made in the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Kashmir since 2001 onwards.

The department has appointed a Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service officers as inquiry who shall submit the report within a month’s time. An order in this regard has been issued by Dheeraj Gupta), Principal Secretary to the Government, Housing and Urban Development Department.

“In terms of Rule 33 of Jammu and Kashmir Classification Control and Appeal Rules, 1956, sanction is hereby accorded to the appointment of Mr. Mohammad Shahid Saleem Dar, JKAS, Managing Director, J&K Housing Board, as Inquiry Officer to conduct an in-depth inquiry into the misconduct of erring officers for misusing their official powers/positions for making illegal appointments/regularizations in the Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir since 2001 onwards, in violation of regulations and without following due procedure of law”, it reads.

“Further, it is ordered that Accounts Officer, Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir shall be the Presenting Officer in the case. The Inquiry Officer shall submit the report along with specific recommendations within a period of one month from the date of issuance of order”, it added.

It is pertinent to mention here that last year the Housing and Urban Development Department has issued two different orders in June and July, wherein the committee were being constituted to conduct an inquiry into the illegal appointment in Urban Local Bodies Kashmir.

Two inquiry officers were appointed by Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary to the Government Housing and Urban Development Department, who were asked to submit the report in one month.

Further, in 2011, reports had emerged that over 1500 illegal appointments were made in Urban Local Bodies Kashmir. A committee of officers headed by the then Director, Urban Local Bodies Kashmir, Mathoora Masoom was constituted to inquire into all illegal appointments made in the municipal councils and committees of Kashmir since 2001.