Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, oct 29
Asserting that Panthers Party’s voice against corrupt practices under BJP-PDP rule is vindicated by Governor’s sensational disclosures of late, scores of NPP activists led by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP and other leaders staged a vociferous protest demonstration at Exhibition Ground in Jammu today. While raising slogans against the erstwhile coalition, the agitated protesters demanded an immediate CBI probe against the corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and officers for their alleged involvement in all illegal appointments besides large scale irregularities and scams done in various departments in the erstwhile regime.
Pointing towards the most sensational disclosures made by the State Governor in the media recently, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh said that the exposure of health insurance scam and the replacement of entire select list of J&K Bank by political appointees was only a tip of the ice-berg with the BJP-PDP combine having crossed all limits of notoriety in making selections to public services besides its involvement in massive bungling and other scams in various departments including PDD, Health, Forests, Education, PHE, PWD, Industries besides others. Regarding the political appointees replacing 582 genuine youth selected by J&K Bank on monetary and extraneous considerations, he said that not only the J&K Bank but almost all the government departments had witnessed thousands of illegal backdoor appointments including DRWs and contractuals during the 4 years tenure of the ‘dirty coalition’ in blatant disregard of prescribed rules, procedures and guidelines.
He said that corrupt politicians in connivance with certain reckless bureaucrats and officers had blatantly flouted rules to set a glaring example of nepotism which needed a CBI probe without any delay. “It was highly opprobrious that even KAS officers were appointed through backdoor in the previous govt. Certainly, the startling revelations had sent shock waves among the fraternity of hardworking aspirants and put a question mark on the integrity of the PSC”, Harsh said. Mr. Singh said that not only PSC but even SSB was abused by the erstwhile regime for interfering in selections by appointing its henchmen on top positions. He recalled that Abdul Latif Deva’s file for appointment as PSC Chairman was twice returned by Governor but the adamant politicians prevailed and got him seated upon the top PSC post besides ensuring the entry of their favourites as members in the State’s premier recruitment and selection agency.
Shocked over the sensational revelations made by the Governor in the media, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh claimed that the confessions made by the constitutional head of the State regarding the illegal appointments and large scale irregularities done in the coalition rule, had vindicated the voice of Panthers Party which persistently opposed and exposed the omissions and commissions of the erstwhile government through its vigorous protests. He divulged that the Governor had admitted that the youth with terrorist background were recruited and some of the recruited teachers were preaching fundamentalism in the schools.
He said that the Governor categorically pointed out that no selections in the state have been done without bribery. According to him, several government officials also took Rs. 500 from the separatists and pelted stones while on the way to home from their offices, Harsh added. “What is the future of the meritorious students in the State? What action has Governor taken against the culprits? Should they not be booked under the law for their misdeeds and vices? What kind of “resolution” was adopted for giving appointment letters to 582 candidates selected by J&K Bank? Is it an eye wash to spare the felons to go scot free?”, infuriated Harsh questioned. Seeking a CBI probe into biggest ever ‘appointment scam’ carried out during the BJP-PDP rule in the state, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh called for initiation of criminal proceedings and strict punitive action against all the politicians, bureaucrats and officers in league who openly misused their authority to rob the due share of gullible youth for filling their personal coffers. He also asked Governor to take cognizance of other scams besides menace of massive loot and plunder in various State departments which had siphoned the public exchequer to cause huge financial loss.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Mrs. Manju Singh, Rajesh Padgotra, Mrs. Kesar Parveen Adv, Neeraj Devi, Yogita, Jyoti, Neelam, Nisha, Gagan Partap Singh, Sham Gorkha, Capt. Anil Gour, Rajiv Mahajan, Dr. Ripu Dawan Sharma, Kulbhushan Attri, Rajesh Gondhi, Nirmal Kishore, K.K Sharma, Ch. Surinder Chouhan, Rashpaul Singh, Udhayveer Singh, S. Vejinder Pal Singh, Bachan Dass, Rohit Sharma, Rakesh Verma, Joginder Singh, Jeevan Sharma, Ashok Chouhan besides others.
