Tweet
Omar turns blind eye to nepotism
Many cases of favouritism and back door appointments of kin of high-profile politicians, bureaucrats and police officers have surfaced in the State in the last three years but the young Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, appears to be looking the other way.
Barring one case where Congress Minister GM Saroori was asked to step down in August 2010, the Chief Minister has failed to nail the rampant nepotism. In the process, his own image of an upright and honest administrator is taking a severe beating in the eyes of common citizens of the State. Common people on the street are simply holding him responsible for adopting different yardsticks for different cases.
The recent expose, involving foster son of State Education Minister Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, has given enough fodder to his detractors to have a go at him. Political barbs are coming his way in plenty. A section of the Congress leaders and the opposition parties are holding him responsible for not checking back door appointments and compromising merit in the selection process.
A reality check by this correspondent revealed that Ovais Ahmad, s/o Mohd Shafi Uri appointed as Editor in the press wing of the J&K Sports Council in April 2010 has never edited or produced a single publication in the last two years. He was accommodated in the sports council after numerous attempts to absorb him in the State Government jobs failed even during the term of Farooq Abdullah.
At present Ovais Ahmad is working as one of the employees in the purchase section of the council and shares his office with three other employees. When this correspondent interacted with Ovais Ahmad, he confirmed that he is not looking after any charge related to publication. “We are assigned duties by the head of the department and at present the charge is with Jehangir Mir”, Ovais told this correspondent. Interestingly when Ovais was appointed on the post of editor he was overage yet the Chief Minister failed to find fault with his back door appointment.
In the case of foster son of the State Education Minister, Omar Abdullah seems to have succumbed to the pinpricks of coalition politics. Inside reports revealed that the Congress Minister had threatened the State Government to reveal names of a few more Ministers, who enjoyed close proximity to the CM who had misused their authority in ensuring high merit for their children in the State board exams. Rumours are already in the air that their children were accommodated in separate exam centres in the name of security and were provided with reference material/guide books to write down their exams comfortably.
In the selection process of Naib Tehsildar exams, the nexus between the members of the SSRB board and the topper has been exposed by the RTI activist yet the Chief Minister has not taken any concrete action nor his Government has denied charges of favouritism.
The selection of the Finance Minister’s daughter by the three-member interview panel set up by the JKPSC had created ripples as well but even then the State Chief Minister maintained stoic silence and turned Nelson’s eye. Interestingly, the JKPSC had invited Srinagar-based expert who was once accused of indulging in malpractices and also worked as guide and had co-authored research paper with the Minister’s daughter.
In contrast, the Chief Minister took swift action soon after Congress Minister GM Saroori was accused of arranging an impersonator for his daughter to write medical entrance examination in August 2010.
Many cases of favouritism and back door appointments of kin of high-profile politicians, bureaucrats and police officers have surfaced in the State in the last three years but the young Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, appears to be looking the other way.
Barring one case where Congress Minister GM Saroori was asked to step down in August 2010, the Chief Minister has failed to nail the rampant nepotism. In the process, his own image of an upright and honest administrator is taking a severe beating in the eyes of common citizens of the State. Common people on the street are simply holding him responsible for adopting different yardsticks for different cases.
The recent expose, involving foster son of State Education Minister Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, has given enough fodder to his detractors to have a go at him. Political barbs are coming his way in plenty. A section of the Congress leaders and the opposition parties are holding him responsible for not checking back door appointments and compromising merit in the selection process.
A reality check by this correspondent revealed that Ovais Ahmad, s/o Mohd Shafi Uri appointed as Editor in the press wing of the J&K Sports Council in April 2010 has never edited or produced a single publication in the last two years. He was accommodated in the sports council after numerous attempts to absorb him in the State Government jobs failed even during the term of Farooq Abdullah.
At present Ovais Ahmad is working as one of the employees in the purchase section of the council and shares his office with three other employees. When this correspondent interacted with Ovais Ahmad, he confirmed that he is not looking after any charge related to publication. “We are assigned duties by the head of the department and at present the charge is with Jehangir Mir”, Ovais told this correspondent. Interestingly when Ovais was appointed on the post of editor he was overage yet the Chief Minister failed to find fault with his back door appointment.
In the case of foster son of the State Education Minister, Omar Abdullah seems to have succumbed to the pinpricks of coalition politics. Inside reports revealed that the Congress Minister had threatened the State Government to reveal names of a few more Ministers, who enjoyed close proximity to the CM who had misused their authority in ensuring high merit for their children in the State board exams. Rumours are already in the air that their children were accommodated in separate exam centres in the name of security and were provided with reference material/guide books to write down their exams comfortably.
In the selection process of Naib Tehsildar exams, the nexus between the members of the SSRB board and the topper has been exposed by the RTI activist yet the Chief Minister has not taken any concrete action nor his Government has denied charges of favouritism.
The selection of the Finance Minister’s daughter by the three-member interview panel set up by the JKPSC had created ripples as well but even then the State Chief Minister maintained stoic silence and turned Nelson’s eye. Interestingly, the JKPSC had invited Srinagar-based expert who was once accused of indulging in malpractices and also worked as guide and had co-authored research paper with the Minister’s daughter.
In contrast, the Chief Minister took swift action soon after Congress Minister GM Saroori was accused of arranging an impersonator for his daughter to write medical entrance examination in August 2010.
