Four functionaries of civic bodies in Jammu and Kashmir have been booked for their alleged involvement in illegal appointments in three municipal committees of Bandipora district.
Following complaints about alleged illegal appointments in Municipal Committees of Hajin, Sumbal and Bandipora during the year 2009-10, the State Vigilance Organisation conducted a verification and found that the four, including then Executive Officer of the three Municipal Committees Abdul Rashid Shah, were involved in making 149 illegal appointments, an official spokesman said.
The SVO has registered cases under Prevention of Corruption Act against Shah, Hajin Municipal Committee president Imtiyaz Ahmad Parray, Sumbal MC president Abdul Rashid Mir and Bandipora president Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi.
During investigation it was found that some of the beneficiaries after the appointment were transferred to other Municipal Committees by the in-charge Executive Officer.
"The verification conducted revealed that these appointees were lacking the eligibility criteria as laid down in the recruitment rules and in-charge executive officer Abdul Rashid Shah was found to have drawn their salaries from the state exchequer," the spokesman said.
The spokesman did not mention if any action is being sought against politicians whose names had figured in the alleged illegal recruitment scam.
The SVO action came five days ahead of the State Accountability Commission (SAC) hearing the case.
A Division bench of the Commission, comprising chairman Justice (retd) Y P Nargotra and Justice (retd) Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain, on May 14 directed for a regular inquiry into the allegations of misuse of official position by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand in these illegal recruitments carried out during his tenure as the Urban Development Minister.
