7 officials attached in Health recruitment scam

CMO had appointed Dental Surgeon, another official wife, others

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, July 9: On the recommendations of a departmental inquiry, Government has attached seven officials of the Department of Health Services Kashmir on account of their alleged involvement in a recruitment scandal spread over 4 districts in south Kashmir.

Official sources revealed to Early Times that in the face of a deluge of complaints, Government had assigned a thorough inquiry to a team of officials, headed by Special Secretary Health & Medical Education Syed Iftikhar-ul-Hassan Bari, to investigate and identify the officials who had got hundreds of youth appointed on fake orders. During the process of the inquiry, it surfaced that almost all the officials involved in the deal, as also the beneficiaries of the fraudulent process, were residents of the South Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian.

The team recommended that all the seven officials be removed from their places of posting and attached to Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir. The officers who have been identified and attached include Dr A R Matoo (in-charge Dy CMO Anantnag), Dr Nazir Ahmad Hakeem [Dy Director (Schemes], Dr Altaf Beigh, CMO, Kulgam, Dr. G. M. Shaksaz,Medical Superintendent, JLNM Hospital, Srinagar, Dr. Bashir Ahmed Najar, BMO,Larnoo, Dr. Gowhar Abbas, BMO, Mattan and Dr. Iqbal Bichoo who is presently attached in the office of CMO, Anantnag.

Names of other junior officials involved in the affairs have been sent to Director Health Services,Kashmir, for similar necessary action by the Committee. Department of Health Services had received various complaints with regard to fake appointments made in District Anantnag over the years prior to year 2009. These complaints were examined by the Director Health Services, Kashmir, through a Committee constituted by him. The Committee after verification of such complaints submitted a preliminary factfinding report which prima-facie established large number of fake appointments made by certain officers/officials.

 In view of the findings of the Committee, the Government ordered a detailed in-depth enquiry in the matter by a team headed by Special Secretary to Government Health & Medical Education Department. The Committee found seven senior officers involved in making such fake appointments.

Names of other junior officials involved in the affairs have been sent to Director Health Services, Kashmir, for similar necessary action by the Committee.

Furthermore, the Director Health Services, Kashmir has been asked to enquire into all such complaints in the matter of other districts as well and submit a report to the Government at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Minister for Health, Mr. Sham Lal Sharma has said that stern action will betaken against all the erring officers/officials and the beneficiaries of the fake appointments after the detailed enquiry into all such complaints.

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