DG CISF orders another inquiry into Boniyar shootout

Omar calls on bereaved family, douses a flame but seen off with stone pelting on cavalcade

 Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jan 3: Even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today called on the bereaved family and described the 18-year-old student Altaf Ahmad Sood’s death as “an unacceptable murder”, Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) ordered a departmental inquiry into yesterday’s shootout. CISF inquiry has been launched after the force officials pleaded that the guards had opened fire only when “a violent mob of over 1,000 people” refused to respond to several warnings and attempted to set the buildings on fire.

 Highly placed authoritative sources revealed to Early Times that on express directions from union Home Minister P Chidambaram and union Home Secretary R P Singh, DG of CISF Mr NR Das today visited the spot of yesterday’s shootout. He had an extensive interaction with the Commanding Officer of the battalion guarding different NHPC colonies and installations, Mr Chaturvedi, and others posted at the camp involved in yesterday’s firing.

According to these sources, officers and other personnel of the battalion maintained that the CISF guards had opened fire only after a violent mob of over one thousand people resorted to stone pelting and attempted to set the buildings on fire while ignoring three repeatedly made warnings. Contrary to the peoples’ statements and the state Police version, CISF officials told Mr Das that opening the fire had become “inevitable”. “Otherwise the violent mob would have destroyed the camp and lynched our men’, one of the officers is reported to have told the DG CISF.

The CISF officials described registration of a murder case and arrest of five guards by Police “unwarranted” and insisted that the central force had neither batons nor tearsmoke and other Police equipment to protect themselves, their camps and the installations they were supposed to guard.

Sources said that DG CISF immediately ordered a departmental inquiry that would run parallel to the murder case registered at Police Station Boniyar against the guards on the directions of Chief Minister and Director General of Police, Mr Kuldeep Khoda. Third inquiry is being simultaneously carried out by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla. According to informed sources, DG CISF made it clear that the departmental inquiry be completed before his retirement from service on January 31^st.

SP Baramulla, Dr Haseeb Mughal, said that Police investigation was underway. He said that five CISF guards had been arrested and three more personnel of the camp detained for questioning as Police were investigating what exactly led to opening of the fire by the guards. He declined to endorse the CISF version at its face value and revealed that 80 to 100 rounds had been fired on the spot.  

Hours before DG CISF’s arrival, leaders of different mainstream and separatist political parties today made a beeline to Boniyar. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was the first who landed at Brigade Headquarters of Rampur at 0915 hours and drove all the way to Altaf Ahmad Sood’s residence at Sakin Brinet. He was accompanied by Congress party’s MLA of Uri and Minister of Irrigation and PHE, Taj Mohi-ud-din, MoS Home Nasir Aslam Wani besides DGP, Kuldeep Khoda. IGP Kashmir, S M Sahai, DIG North Kashmir, Munir Khan, DC Baramulla Bashir Ahmad Bhat and SP Baramulla, Dr Haseeb Mughal, were also in attendance.

Omar extended condolences to members of the bereaved family and assured them that his government would leave no stone unturned to provide relief to them and punish Altaf’s killers. On his return, Chief Minister addressed a gathering of nearly 1,000 residents of Boniyar and adjoining villages close to the spot of yesterday’s firing. He called the 18-year-old student’s death in the shootout as “murder, least acceptable to me” and asserted that his government would get the killers punished. He said that Altaf could never return from death to life but his family would get all possible support, including a road to the village, from his government.

Officials escorting Chief Minister told Early Times that proceedings at Brinet and Boniyar went on smoothly but a crowd of nearly 300 people pelted stones on the rear end vehicles of the cavalcade while shouting anti-Government slogans. However, the cavalcade proceeded without any significant disruption. SP Baramulla confirmed the stone pelting and said that the crowd targeted vehicles of local Police which were in the tail end of Chief Minister’s motorcade. He said that Police dispersed the crowd with mild baton charge and tearsmoke. He added that there was total shutdown in Boniyar, Gingal, Brinet as also at Uri. However, there was no incident of clash between residents and Police or security forces, he said.

SP Baramulla said that PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and JKLF Chairman, Yasin Malik, too visited Boniyar and called on the bereaved family. He said that Police or security forces did not prevent anybody from visiting Boniyar. Residents of several villages, who attended Yasin Malik’s public meeting, said that the JKLF chief blamed mainstream political parties for Altaf Sood’s killing and claimed that the “Indian forces” were unbridled only due to incompetence and non-representative character of mainstream political leaders and the J&K Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

END 

DG CISF orders another inquiry into Boniyar shootout

Omar calls on bereaved family, douses a flame but seen off with stone pelting on cavalcade

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jan 3: Even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today called on the bereaved family and described the 18-year-old student Altaf Ahmad Sood’s death as “an unacceptable murder”, Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) ordered a departmental inquiry into yesterday’s shootout. CISF inquiry has been launched after the force officials pleaded that the guards had opened fire only when “a violent mob of over 1,000 people” refused to respond to several warnings and attempted to set the buildings on fire.

Highly placed authoritative sources revealed to Early Times that on express directions from union Home Minister P Chidambaram and union Home Secretary R P Singh, DG of CISF Mr NR Das today visited the spot of yesterday’s shootout. He had an extensive interaction with the Commanding Officer of the battalion guarding different NHPC colonies and installations, Mr Chaturvedi, and others posted at the camp involved in yesterday’s firing.

According to these sources, officers and other personnel of the battalion maintained that the CISF guards had opened fire only after a violent mob of over one thousand people resorted to stone pelting and attempted to set the buildings on fire while ignoring three repeatedly made warnings. Contrary to the peoples’ statements and the state Police version, CISF officials told Mr Das that opening the fire had become “inevitable”. “Otherwise the violent mob would have destroyed the camp and lynched our men’, one of the officers is reported to have told the DG CISF.

The CISF officials described registration of a murder case and arrest of five guards by Police “unwarranted” and insisted that the central force had neither batons nor tearsmoke and other Police equipment to protect themselves, their camps and the installations they were supposed to guard.

Sources said that DG CISF immediately ordered a departmental inquiry that would run parallel to the murder case registered at Police Station Boniyar against the guards on the directions of Chief Minister and Director General of Police, Mr Kuldeep Khoda. Third inquiry is being simultaneously carried out by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla. According to informed sources, DG CISF made it clear that the departmental inquiry be completed before his retirement from service on January 31^st.

SP Baramulla, Dr Haseeb Mughal, said that Police investigation was underway. He said that five CISF guards had been arrested and three more personnel of the camp detained for questioning as Police were investigating what exactly led to opening of the fire by the guards. He declined to endorse the CISF version at its face value and revealed that 80 to 100 rounds had been fired on the spot.  

Hours before DG CISF’s arrival, leaders of different mainstream and separatist political parties today made a beeline to Boniyar. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was the first who landed at Brigade Headquarters of Rampur at 0915 hours and drove all the way to Altaf Ahmad Sood’s residence at Sakin Brinet. He was accompanied by Congress party’s MLA of Uri and Minister of Irrigation and PHE, Taj Mohi-ud-din, MoS Home Nasir Aslam Wani besides DGP, Kuldeep Khoda. IGP Kashmir, S M Sahai, DIG North Kashmir, Munir Khan, DC Baramulla Bashir Ahmad Bhat and SP Baramulla, Dr Haseeb Mughal, were also in attendance.

Omar extended condolences to members of the bereaved family and assured them that his government would leave no stone unturned to provide relief to them and punish Altaf’s killers. On his return, Chief Minister addressed a gathering of nearly 1,000 residents of Boniyar and adjoining villages close to the spot of yesterday’s firing. He called the 18-year-old student’s death in the shootout as “murder, least acceptable to me” and asserted that his government would get the killers punished. He said that Altaf could never return from death to life but his family would get all possible support, including a road to the village, from his government.

Officials escorting Chief Minister told Early Times that proceedings at Brinet and Boniyar went on smoothly but a crowd of nearly 300 people pelted stones on the rear end vehicles of the cavalcade while shouting anti-Government slogans. However, the cavalcade proceeded without any significant disruption. SP Baramulla confirmed the stone pelting and said that the crowd targeted vehicles of local Police which were in the tail end of Chief Minister’s motorcade. He said that Police dispersed the crowd with mild baton charge and tearsmoke. He added that there was total shutdown in Boniyar, Gingal, Brinet as also at Uri. However, there was no incident of clash between residents and Police or security forces, he said.

SP Baramulla said that PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and JKLF Chairman, Yasin Malik, too visited Boniyar and called on the bereaved family. He said that Police or security forces did not prevent anybody from visiting Boniyar. Residents of several villages, who attended Yasin Malik’s public meeting, said that the JKLF chief blamed mainstream political parties for Altaf Sood’s killing and claimed that the “Indian forces” were unbridled only due to incompetence and non-representative character of mainstream political leaders and the J&K Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

END

Taj’s anti-NHPC tirade takes first life in Uri

Student killed, 5 injured as CISF opens fire on demonstrators

Murder case registered * 5 CISF men arrested * Taj, Nasir, Khoda visit spot

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jan 2: Senior Congress leader and Minister of Irrigation & PHE Taj Mohi-ud-din’s six-month-long tirade against National Hyd0relectric Power Corporation (NHPC) entered a dangerous phase with the beginning of year 2012 today when Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) guards opened fire on a demonstration, killing an 18-year-old student on spot at Boniyar in Uri. Even as the coalition government ordered registration of a murder case, got five CISF personnel arrested, deployed a high level team to Baramulla and claimed to have sent a note of protest to New Delhi, tension had not substantially receded in Baramulla-Uri belt.

Informed sources in north Kashmir told Early Times that residents of nearly 20 villages around NHPC base at Gingal, Boniyar, gathered in the forenoon and began staging a demonstration. They demanded that NHPC should immediately fulfill its year 1989 promises with the local population. The promises made at the time of setting up 480 mw Uri Civil power project, according to the demonstrators, included free power supply to the villages affected by the project, one job to each of the families who provided land besides free education and free medical treatment to all patients in the locality. 

Sub Divisional Police Officer Uri, Sub Divisional Magistrate Uri and Station House Officer Boniyar appeared at the spot and persuaded the demonstrators to disperse peacefully. They assured the gathering that they would take up the matter with DC Baramulla who, in turn, would ensure that free power was provided to the area by NHPC. Even as the gathering relented and decided to defer their agitation by a couple of days, CISF guards opened fire at around 1300 hours. A class 12^th student, namely Altaf Ahmad Sood S/o Bashir Ahmad Sood, died on spot and five others sustained injuries.

While as two of the injured demonstrators were treated at a Public Health Centre at Boniyar, two more with gunshot wounds were evacuated and rushed to Baramulla. By late tonight, both the persons treated at Boniyar as also one admitted to District Hospital Baramulla had been discharged. However, one person was still under treatment at DH Baramulla.

Sources said that the demonstrators went panicky with the firing at Boniyar, 29 Km from Baramulla on the National Highway leading to Uri and further to Muzaffarabad in PoK. They shouted anti-NHPC and anti-Government slogans and some of them even pelted stones from a long distance towards NHPC installations. None of the senior officials from Baramulla visited the spot till late in the afternoon when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Jammu deployed a high level team of Ministers and officers by helicopter.

Within two hours, a helicopter landed at an Army encampment at Rampur and dropped Minister of Irrigation & PHE, Taj Mohi-ud-din, who also happens to be Congress party’s MLA of Uri, Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Wani and Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda. The high level team drove straight to Boniyar and arranged a meeting with local representatives. Sources said that Taj Mohi-ud-din succeeded in pacifying the delegation with the announcement that a murder case would be filed against CISF guards and all the delinquent officials would be arrested and a magisterial inquiry would also be ordered within today.

Residents conducted the burial of the youth killed amid official announcement that Rs one lakh would be paid as ex gratia relief to the bereaved family alongwith one government job or compensation of Rs 4 lakhs. Within hours, DC Baramulla ordered a magisterial inquiry that would be conducted by Additional DC of Baramulla. Police simultaneously registered FIR No: 01 of 2012 under section 302 RPC at Police Station Boniyar and got five of the CISF guards arrested.

At a hurriedly called press conference in Jammu, Principal Secretary Home, B R Sharma, identified the detained CISF guards as Sub-Inspector Krishan Thapa, Havaldar Dwarka Prashad,Constable Raju Ranjan, Constable Ajay Singh and Constable Mohammad Shabir.

Sharing details with media, Mr Sharma said that the residents of Rampur and Guntamula villages of tehsil Uri were protesting against NHPC at Boniyar. He said that the firing incident occurred at around 1300-1330 hrs which resulted in death of Altaf Ahmad Sood. He said that two persons, namely Parvaiz Ahmad S/o Ghulam Hassan and Abdul Majid S/o Wali Mohammad, residents of Boniyar, sustained injuries in the shootout.

Mr Sharma said that Deputy Commissioner and SSP of Baramulla rushed to the spot immediately. DC Baramulla had been directed to provide immediate ex-gratia to the family of the deceased besides Rs 50,000 to each of the injured, he said.

He asserted that the CISF troops, who opened fire, were not part of the Counter Insurgency Grid in J&K and they had been deployed by the NHPC directly for the security of its installations across the State. He said that the State Government had taken up the matter with the Union Home Ministry, lodged “serious protest” and demanded stern exemplary action against the delinquent officers.

He said the protest was against the NHPC which should have sought the assistance of the local law and order machinery rather than dealing with the situation on its own.

Sarpanch of Bela Salamabad, Raja Javed, who was among the representatives dealing with the officials, told Early Times that NHPC had signed a written agreement with residents of nearly 20 villages of Boniyar area in 1989 that it would provide free electricity, free education and free medical treatment to the local population. According to him, it was recorded and duly signed by both the parties in the agreement that one job would be provided to each of the families who provided land, though on compensation, for construction of the prestigious 480 mw Uri Civil power project. Even as the residents raked up the issue, made all possible efforts to get the promises fulfilled and staged demonstrations, NHPC remained unmoved in the last 22 years.

Raja Javed said that on Friday last, residents gathered and staged a demonstration to press their demands--- particularly that of the free power supply. He said that they deferred the agitation till January 2^nd when SDM, SDPO and SHO assured them that they would get their demands realized with the intervention of DC Baramulla. When nothing came through, residents gathered again today and decided to take their agitation to logical conclusion. He said that inspite of no action by the authorities in the last five days, residents agreed to further defer their agitation.

“When we were dispersing and returning to our homes, CISF guards came out of a bunker without any provocation. They opened indiscriminate firing on the peaceful demonstrators. We saw them out on the highway and firing indiscriminately. One boy, namely Altaf Ahmad Sood, who was a class 12^th student of Govt Higher Secondary School Boniyar and was returning to home from tuition, was shot directly and killed. Five others sustained injuries”, Raja Javed said.  He said that announcement of ex gratia relief and registration of murder case, besides arrest of five CISF guards, had assuaged the feelings of one family but not solved the real problem of the vast area.

Raja Javed said that the agitation would continue till all the peoples’ demands were conceded and implemented. He said that inspite of the NHPC’s 480 mw power plant, Boniyar area was getting paid electric supply from state government for just one or two hours a day. He claimed to be in possession of the agreement that makes NHPC bound to provide uninterrupted, free power supply to the area.

SP Baramulla, Dr Haseeb Mughal, claimed that tension was receding remarkably after the high level delegation’s visit to Boniyar. He said that the burial of the youth took place peacefully. He said that Police had registered a murder case, got five of CISF men disarmed and arrested. He said that the matter was under investigation as to what forced CISF to open fire.

Efforts to contact General Manager of CISF at Boniyar failed as his phone was continuously not reachable.

END

Sopore girl denied passport 20 years after her militant father’s death

CID’s questions to Rehana: When did CM assure passports to militants’ relatives? Why should you have a passport? Which ‘maharram’ will travel with you?

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SOPORE, Dec 31: Rehana of Baba Raza mohalla, Sopore, was born with the birth of Kashmir militancy in 1990. Her father, Abdul Rashid Penchoo, was among hundreds of youth who deserted their aging parents, young wives and children to “liberate” Kashmir. He joined the Islamist guerrilla group Hizbul Mujahideen and assumed the codename of Zahid Ali. Rehana was two-year old and her brother, Tahir, in fourth month when Zahid Ali died alongwith some of his associates in a fierce encounter with the armed forces in nearby Chhankhan locality on July 15^th/ 16^th in 1992.

Twenty years later, Rehana is completing her Bachelor of Arts at Government Degree College Sopore. Tahir is awaiting results of class 12^th  examination. Both are ambitious to seek scholarship from Delhi-based NGOs to pursue higher studies abroad. Rehana too wants to liberate Kashmir---not from “Indian occupation” but from corruption, social injustice, poverty and ignorance.

Like many of Kashmir’s young, revolting female television watchers, Rehana’s role models are Barkha Dutt and Mahrukh Anayat. St Stephens and Columbia are nowhere in her reach. Her strong will of serving the society as a journalist drives Rehana to Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Alongside her BA at Sopore, she completes a virtual degree in journalism through distance mode with IGNOU. New Delhi-based NGO, YAKJAH wants to sponsor her studies abroad after making her participate in a conference in Sri Lanka in 2012. For this all, she needs to have a passport.

One of Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s much trumpeted announcements encourages Rehana to apply for passport. On the floor of Legislative Assembly, as well as at press conferences and public meetings, Omar refrained: ‘Family members and relatives of militants will no more suffer on account of the actions of others. Like all other citizens, they will get passports, government jobs without facing any stigma’. Omar had made his statements after it was pointed out to him that Police and intelligence agencies had incorporated hundreds of thousands of names---mostly those of the close and distant relatives of active or dead militants--- in so-called red index.

Scoring a point over arch rival Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s “healing touch regime”, Omar said with pride that family members of militant commanders were for the first time getting travel documents. One of Information Department’s press releases announced boastfully that the beneficiaries of Omar Government’s justice included the wife and children of Hizbul Mujahideen supremo Syed Salah-ud-din. Soon it became public that all of the top militant commanders’ families, including those of the Pakistan-based Salah-ud-din, slain Operations Chief Burhan-ud-din Hijazi’s and another slain Operations Chief Riyaz Rasool’s, were shuttling between Srinagar and Rawalpindi like lakhs of Kashmiris between Srinagar and Jammu. In Omar’s regime, Salah-ud-din even imported a slain commander’s wife all the way from Srinagar to Islamabad and acquired her as his second wife.

In months of the Chief Minister’s reassurance, that came as veritable boon to thousands of families in Kashmir, Rehana submitted her application No: A 031934/6503193411 at Regional Passport Office Srinagar on 03-10-2011. Within days, RPO Srinagar sought verification of Rehana’s antecedents from IGP CID. Without wasting any time, CID headquarters sought the applicant’s field verification from SP Sopore and SP CID Special Branch, Kashmir, vide No: CID/PP/2011/1268-77/11/Spr Dated 28-10-2011.

Even as Executive Police completed its process within next few days, SP CID SB has not received the verification from Baramulla in the last two months.

On 07-11-2011, CID’s verification staff paid their first visit to Rehana’s home. Rehana, as well as her 42-year-old mother, Rubeena, made every possible effort to convince the officials that the passport was needed for the applicant’s higher studies. Not satisfied with the family’s response, the officials began asking for Rehana’s Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC), Date of Birth Certificate, a letter of intent from the sponsoring NGO and many other documents. Not one of them is required by law.

Thereupon, an outspoken Rehana asserted on the officials that getting an Indian Passport was her constitutional and birth right. “Even if I don’t possess a PRC, I have not studies at school and I don’t want to go for higher studies, I am entitled to passport”, Rehana argued with the CID officials. They left with the advice that the “needful” be done and they be informed. “Otherwise, you will never get a passport”, they shot on the young hostess.

54 days later, one of the CID officials tripped in on December 30th. “He is now asking for more details and documents. He told me that since I was young and unmarried, I could not travel abroad without a maharram (close blood relations). I told him that he was confused as maharram was a Shariat rule requirement during a holy pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia alone. He did not listen to anything and claimed that Chief Minister had never declared free passports to members of the militants’ families. Thereupon, I called Yakjah and sought their intervention”, Rehana narrated to Early Times.

“When I tried to make it clear to the CID official that company of maharram was only a visa requirement of Saudi Arabia and it had got nothing to do with an Indian Passport, he argued that I was from a different religion and could not understand the Shariat rules. He refused to accept that passport was every Indian citizen’s birth and constitutional right. Then he dropped the phone”, Yakjah functionary Ashima Kaul said by telephone from New Delhi.

Middle-aged Rubeena’s tribulations don’t seem to end. While the families of most of the prominent militant commanders and separatist politicians continued to get passports and free flow of monetary support from different countries, those of the ordinary guerrillas continued to bleed through nose.

Victim of Army’s, BSF’s and SOG’s wrath, Rubeena migrated to Karan Nagar Srinagar in months of her husband’s death. She worked hard and brought up both of her children at her brother’s home for the next 10 years. She disposed off the family’s only source of income---a sawing machine. In 1996, her house was blasted in an IED explosion, allegedly by Army. It was only during Mufti’s “healing touch regime” in 2003 that Rubeena returned to Sopore alongwith both of her children. Running an embroidery workshop, with engagement of ten artisans, she stoically made their schooling possible.

“We have thousands of similar cases. CM has indeed made the announcement but the relief is practically restricted to only the families of few high profile commanders. Almost all the separatist leaders have valid passports. Some of them have even two, courtesy their contacts in Delhi. They have been traveling at will all over the world”, an officer of the rank of SSP explained. He added: “One of the top separatist leaders openly held a two-hour-long meeting with the ISI chief at Amsterdam Airport. But their ordinary followers, even those who have invited them once over a dinner fifteen years back are labeled as men of anti-national connections and denied passports. Same is the story of the families of ordinary militants, dead or alive. Rehana is one among thousands”. He observed that CM’s announcement was just on papers as the verification staff had no accountability.

END

Ranjan tipped to take over as next PCCF

Kundal-backed IFS lobby blocking Tiwari’s pension settlement case

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Dec 28: Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of 1977 batch, Vinod Ranjan, is likely to succeed R D Tiwari as the next Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) in Jammu and Kashmir. After putting in 34 years of service in J&K cadre, Mr Tiwari is reaching superannuation on December 31^st.

Well placed sources in the political establishment insisted that Vinod Ranjan, who has headed several key departments in Forest sector and has been functioning as Director Forest Protection Force (FPF) since 01-05-2010, was “most likely” to take over as PCCF on December 31^st evening. He would be tried on experimental basis and confirmed as PCCF by the Cabinet in a few months subject to the satisfaction of Minister incharge Forest Mian Altaf Ahmad.

1975-batch IFS officer Jagdish Kishwan, who functioned as PCCF in J&K prior to his central deputation on 01-10-2010, is currently the seniormost officer of J&K cadre. He has been functioning as Additional Director General Wildlife in union Ministry of Environment and Forest since October 2011. Since he has already served a term as PCCF and is reaching superannuation on 30-09-2012, he is unlikely to be recalled to succeed Tiwari.

Ranjan stands at number three on the top of the seniority list. In addition to Kishwan’s central deputation, he has a couple of other advantages. His immediate junior and 1978-batch IFS officer, Pritam Chand Kapur, who has been serving as Director of J&K State Forestry Research Institute (SFRI) since October 2010, is due to retire in next two months---February 29^th, 2012.

Ranjan has not enjoyed enviable reputation throughout his career. However, unlike many in the department, including Kapur and Tiwari, he does not have any departmental inquiries or corruption related matters pending against him in State Vigilance Organisation. He has been calling himself a “victim of whisper campaign”. Ranjan, nevertheless, has a veritable headache. A high level committee, headed by Chief Secretary Madhav Lal, has lately elevated two additional PCCFs, namely A K Srivastava and Lal Chand, to the grade of PCCF (Rs 75,500---Rs 80,000).

In case the state government decided to give more weightage to “suitability” than seniority, both, Srivastava as well as Lal Chand, could emerge as a threat to Ranjan. Chief Minister obviously has the final say and the Cabinet would only perform a formality, but men of consequence in the government insist that Mr Omar Abdullah had ‘no particular likes and dislikes” in Forest sector.

“Chief Minister is normally in favour of maintaining seniority. He favoured Mr Madhav Lal as Chief Secretary last year when several Ministers in the Cabinet and other political leaders had a variety of other choices. This time around, he is most likely to go by the choice of Forest Minister Mian Altaf Sahab”, a highly placed government functionary observed.

1980-batch IFS officer, Srivastava, has been functioning as Inspector General of Wildlife in union Ministry of Environment and Forest since 01-04-2009. In J&K, he last served as Chief Wildlife Warden. Reaching superannuation on 30-11-2014, he is left with three more years of service. Among all competitors, Srivastava alone is a serious threat to Ranjan in case Minister of Forest did not favour Ranjan during his “probation”.

The last in the PCCFs’ list is none other than son of the soil, Lal Chand, who has been serving as Chairman of J&K State Pollution Control Board since 01-05-2010. Retiring on 31-01-2013, he is still left with over a year of service. According to authoritative sources, his candidacy would heavily depend on strenuous lobbying of SC/ST lobby of Jammu that has been simultaneously projecting him for the vacancy of a member in J&K State Public Service Commission.

Minister of Forest, Mian Altaf Ahmad, told Early Times that a decision with regard to the appointment of the new PCCF would be taken only after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s return from overseas on Wednesday. “I am having an open mind. I’m sure, the picture would become clear after my discussion with Chief Minister tomorrow”, Mian Altaf said. He said that the incumbent would be picked up from among Ranjan, Srivastava and Lal Chand, all holding the grade of PCCF.

Meanwhile, bureaucratic sources revealed that a particular lobby of IFS officers, allegedly enjoying support of former Chief Secretary and today’s MLC of Congress party, B R Kundal, was at work to block settlement of Mr Tiwari’s pension case. According to these sources, efforts were underway to trouble the outgoing PCCF as certain officials were stressing on the fact Vigilance clearance to Mr Tiwari could not be granted until he was cleared in a departmental inquiry. Government had exonerated Mr Tiwari in a matter of alleged misuse of official position, in the matter of promotions in Department of Wildlife Protection over a decade ago but ordered a departmental inquiry. The inquiry did not proceed as Mr Tiwari got it stayed from court with the argument that the nominated inquiry officer was “biased” against him.

Mr Kundal, who headed an inquiry in Ghulam Nabi Azad’s regime, held Mr Tiwari guilty in several matters and recommended detailed investigations by SVO and Crime Branch. However, SVO and CB failed to establish any charges against him during his functioning as head of IWDP and PCB. Interestingly, Mr Tiwari is facing his career’s last official meeting with none other than Kundal at Legislative Council tomorrow. Almost all officers of the rank of PCCF, additional PCCF, CCF and Conservators of Forest (CF) would be present in the House committee meeting.

END  

On retirement, Mehboob diverted Rs 18 Cr NRDWP funds to Doda

Meticulous planning of constituency development before joining Congress

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Dec 26: Obsessed with his ambition of joining Congress party, senior IAS officer and Commissioner-Secretary PHE & Irrigation, Sheikh Mehboob Iqbal, has diverted Rs 18 Cr of centrally sponsored drinking water scheme to his home district of Doda. Diversion of the funds has been ordered in violation of the guidelines of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).

Highly placed bureaucratic sources disclosed to Early Times that Mr Mehboob Iqbal created a reserve of funds and diverted it fully to his home district of Doda with such a mechanism that the funds would be almost fully utilized on water supply schemes in Bhaderwah Assembly segment. According to these sources, Joint Director (Planning) in Education Department, Mr Matoo, who has been holding additional charge of PHE & Irrigation, played a key role in the diversion on the Commissioner-Secretary’s insistence.

Minister of PHE & Irrigation, Taj Mohiuddin, happens to be Iqbal’s political mentor and close relative but it was not immediately clear whether the diversion of NRDWP funds had happened with or without his approval. Sources said that allocation and diversion of the centrally sponsored scheme’s funds could not ordinarily happen without the concerned Minister’s approval. According to these sources, diversion of the funds took place days before Mr Iqbal’s retirement from service on November 30^th, 2001, when Taj Mohiuddin had returned from Hajj and was very much present in the state.

Almost fully sponsored by Department of Drinking Water Supply of the union Ministry of Rural Development, NRDWP is being implemented in different states, including Jammu & Kashmir, with a central monitoring system. Inter-State allocation of NRDWP funds depends on total rural population according to 2001 census (40% weightage), rural SC and ST population (10% weightage), rural population managing drinking water supply schemes (10% weightage) and States under DDP, DPAP, HADP and special category Hill States in terms of rural areas (40% weightage).

“Ministers and bureaucrats can not allocate, pool or divert funds at their whims and sweet will. Guidelines of this and many other centrally sponsored schemes have been drafted so meticulously that nobody can utilize the funds for personal benefits or development of a particular constituency”, a top ranking official asserted. According to him, funds could be distributed strictly in accordance with the genuine demands put forward by Executive Engineers, Superintending Engineers and Chief Engineers.

Since digging of wells is a major component of the programme, there is remarkable prospect of the distribution to strengthen votebanks. Even as Government of India has been meticulously conducting the monitoring, nobody till date seems to have questioned the state government as to how Ministers and retiring public servants, having political ambitions, could utilize the NRDWP funds for personal promotion or electoral gains of a particular political party.

Interestingly, Congress party’s MLA from Bhaderwah, where the funds are intended to be utilized, Mohammad Sharief Niaz has been completely kept in the dark in this particular diversion of funds. Mr Iqbal, who was conspicuously present in the forefront of Mr Taj Mohiuddin’s recent visit to Doda district, is said to be claiming “direct support” from his Minister-relative as well as union Minister of Health Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Notwithstanding his involvement in Gulmarg Roshni Scandal, in which State Vigilance Organisation has established charges and produced challan in an anti-corruption court, Mehboob Iqbal has attained the image of an extremely competent government official. He is also a man of extraordinary public relations, having his admirers in almost all the political parties.

Many in political circles describe his possible foray into active politics as Congress party’s answer to PDP’s induction of Asgar Ali. Also hailing from erstwhile Doda district, Asgar Ali retired as Director of Rural Development Kashmir and much like Iqbal landed into a corruption-related episode months before his retirement. He is now PDP’s MLC.

Sources in bureaucracy insist that under tremendous pressure from certain political quarters, Law Secretary did not process sanction to Mr Mehboob Iqbal’s prosecution until he reached superannuation on November 30^th and got his pension case settled without any hitch.

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Pir inquiring why SKIMS became a hell for “CM’s man”

Proposal to dismiss surgical oncologist Altaf Gauhar turned down

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Dec 25: Commissioner-Secretary for Health and Medical Education, Ghulam Ahmad Pir, on Saturday started an inquiry to find why authorities at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) allegedly compelled Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s favourite and eminent surgical oncologist, Dr Altaf Gauhar Haji, to quit “in protest”. Chief Minister, in his capacity as Chairman of the highest decision making Governing Body of the tertiary care hospital, has not only turned down the proposal of terminating Dr Altaf’s service and his replacement by General Surgeon Dr Nisar Chaudhary but has also asked the senior bureaucrat to investigate why that particular file had moved from SKIMS to Chief Secretary to Chief Minister with lightning speed.

According to informed sources, Mr G A Pir drove all the way to Soura and remained closeted with Director SKIMS, Dr Shaukat Ali Zargar, for over an hour. Sources called it a ‘closed door meeting”. It was not immediately clear as to what transpired between the two in today’s one-on-one. It was, nonetheless, widely believed by well placed sources that Pir actually started the inquiry he has been asked to complete within two weeks. Earlier this month, Chief Minister had assigned the investigation to Pir after he turned down Director SKIMS Dr Zargar’s proposal to terminate the service of eminent surgical oncologist, Dr Altaf Gauhar.

Direcor SKIMS, according to bureaucratic sources, had initiated extreme action against Dr Altaf and also appointed General Surgeon Dr Nisar Chaudhary as head of the lately created Department of Surgical Oncology. Dr Zargar had demonstrated keenness in Dr Altaf’s dismissal and Dr Nisar’s appointment with the argument that only a Professor was “qualified” to head the department. After his super-specialty in surgical oncology in England and having working with hospitals of reputation overseas, Dr Altaf had returned to his home state of J&K earlier this year and joined as Assistant Professor at SKIMS.

Sources insist that Dr Altaf returned and joined SKIMS on Chief Minister’s persuasion. Being the only faculty in his discipline, he was appointed as Head of the Department of Surgical Oncology. However, within weeks, Dr Altaf began complaining that a “mafia of General surgeons and private practitioners”, allegedly enjoying Director’s patronage, had created for him “extreme hostile conditions”. In one of his strongly worded representations, he complained to Chief Minister that he was being “demoralized and marginalized” as his job profile was being encroached upon. According to the complaint, he had been given neither a ward nor a patient.

With the skirmishes between Dr Zargar and Dr Altaf snowballing into a crisis at SKIMS, the former asserted in meetings and communications that anybody not holding the rank of Professor was ineligible to head a department. Director reportedly overruled several members of the Governing Body, including Director of AIIMS Dr Deka, who maintained that Dr Altaf could well head the department which had currently no Post Graduation programme. They insisted that only departments with PG programmes were supposed to be headed by a Professor. Eventually, Dr Zargar appointed Dr Nisar as head of Surgical Oncology department.

When things came to a head, Dr Altaf in protest proceeded on leave. Since his leave had not been sanctioned, SKIMS authorities described his “protest leave” as “unauthorized absence”. Unlike in hundreds of identical cases, SKIMS dashed off explanations and got a series of notifications published in newspapers, asking Dr Altaf either to report for duty or face dismissal of service. Finally, Director SKIMS proposed termination of his services under Civil Service Rules and Regulation in vogue and submitted the file to the competent authority (CM and Chairman of Governing Body of SKIMS) through the office of Chief Secretary.

Chief Minister, according to sources, wondered how an eminent cancer surgeon, who had a high profile job at a British hospital and was being wooed by several corporate Hospitals all over India, had been pushed to the wall at SKIMS. It was all the more surprising that Dr Altaf had returned to Srinagar on none other than Chief Minister’s persuasion. According to sources, Chief Minister even pulled up Chief Secretary Madhav Lal and asked him how that particular file had traveled to him from SKIMS with lightning speed even as scores of top priority files and communications had gathered dust in red-tapism.

Sources said that Chief Minister turned down Director SKIMS’ proposal of terminating Dr Altaf’s service and his replacement by Gen Surgeon Dr Nisar Chaudhary. He also ordered an inquiry by Commissioner-Secretary Health and Medical Education who was asked to investigate as to why Dr Altaf had proceeded on “protest leave” and why Director SKIMS had shown “extraordinary interest” in getting him dismissed and replaced by a General Surgeon. Thereafter, Dr Altaf’s joining report was entertained and he was allowed to resume duty as Head of Department.

While Director SKIMS was not reachable for comment and Medical Superintendent Dr Syed Mohammad Tabish did not respond to repeated phone calls, Mr G A Pir declined to share any details. He confirmed to Early Times that he had been asked to hold an inquiry regarding complaints of two doctors of SKIMS and SMHS Hospital, both named Dr Altaf. In his overnight conversation, Mr Pir said that he had not yet started the inquiry into the SKIMS episode. “As of now, we have just informal, prejudiced versions of both the parties. I have not yet recorded any statements or examined any witnesses or evidences”, Mr Pir asserted.

Mr Pir further said that the process of inquiry would take “some days”. He said that he would submit his findings to Chief Minister as and when completed. When it was pointed out to Mr Pir why similar action (termination of services) had not been taken against doctors like Dr Manzoor Thokar, Additional Professor Microbiology, who was working at Bin Gazi University in Libya for the last over three years, he said that Dr Thokar had got the process stayed from a court of law. “We have taken action against a number of doctors who are absconding in violation of Civil Service Rules and Regulations and working in foreign countries”, Mr Pir added.

END