More than 3,000 Illegal Appointments
Two Former Chairmen and 17 Officers Charge-Sheeted, Madni Goes Scot Free

Jammu and Kashmir’s Anti Corruption Bureau has charge-sheeted two former Chairmen of JK Bank, Shaikh Mushtaq and Parvaiz Nengroo, and 17 other officers of the bank for the recruitment scam. The man who moved the strings of this entire puppet show has been allowed to go scot free.

Everybody in the power corridors of Kashmir knows who moved the strings of the scam. Mehbooba’s maternal uncle Sartaj Madni, who played shadow chief minister during her two-year tenure in the CM chair.

Mehbooba became chief minister of the erstwhile state of J&K in April 2016. Her chief ministership abruptly ended in June 2018. During this time, Commissioner Secretaries of all departments would visit Madni’s residence in the morning, seek his blessings and then go to their respective offices.

Madni presided over the corrupt government of Mehbooba Mufti. Those whom Mufti and Madni wanted to favour were handed over appointment letters into Jammu and Kashmir’s most eminent institutions.

So it was that backdoor appointments happened in JK Bank. In small batches over two years, hordes of freeloaders were given appointment letters, making them staffers of JK Bank. The modus operandi was this. Recommendation letters from Madni reached the Chairman of JK Bank. The Chairman e passed orders to his staff to do the needful.

Former Governor Mr Satyapal Malik Took Note Of Complaints

Interestingly, the scam was exposed after former J&K Governor Mr Satyapal Malik acted upon the complaints received by him regarding fraudulent appointments at the bank. Mr Malik handed over the complaints to the Anti-Corruption Bureau to investigate the case. ACB found that 582 men and women recommended by Sartaj Madni had been fraudulently appointed at the bank. Sources reveal that the actual number of such illegal appointments is over 3,000. Similar appointments took place in other institutions of Jammu and Kashmir, and are being investigated.

The inquiry revealed that during the PDP-BJP led government in the state, relatives of politicians or those carrying a strong recommendation letter were given jobs at JK Bank. Madni, the main culprit who ran the recruitment mafia, has escaped without mention. Officers associated with the case reveal that there is enough evidence to nail him.

During the course of investigation, raid was carried out by the ACB officials at J&K Bank’s corporate headquarters. Incriminating documents were seized from the HR Department and the Recruitment Department.

Recruitments Despite Heavy Losses 

The appointments were done on the basis of the money paid for the post, or closeness to the PDP-BJP leaders. Most appointees were from  south Kashmir. Sources reveal that those candidates who did not enjoy close connection to powerful politicians had to pay Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for the appointment.

No procedures were followed for the recruitment. Documental verification was not done.

Previous crime records were not checked. The result – eight stone pelters were given plush jobs at JK Bank. The deserving candidates were rejected for trivial reasons.

The recruitment was done when the bank was suffering the loss of about 200 crores approximately. At this time, the bank could have focused on reducing its liabilities and bring down the losses. Even during this critical period, the top brass of JK Bank was busy making money or earning political brownies for the appointments.

“Mehbooba Baji Employed My Uneducated Wife In JK Bank!”

However one may try to hide, skeletons tumble out of the cupboard. Recently, visitors to DC Office, Anantnag were left laughing on witnessing the fight between two Kashmiris. One Kashmiri had said something offensive against PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. The second Kashmiri was Mohd Muteen Wagay, a youth PDP leader from Nai Basti, Anantnag. He shouted at the man who had spoken against Mufti: “I will put an end to the person, whosoever, who shows any kind of disrespect to Baji (Mehbooba Mufti). She is my leader. She engaged my uneducated wife in JK Bank. How can I tolerate any insult to her?” Muteen shouted.

The manager of a branch of JK Bank at Anantnag told KZINE that in his branch, three persons had been recruited who could not even read the alphabets on a document. Clearly, Muteen was right.

Such favouritism is costing Kashmir dear. A youth of Budgam told KZINE that favoritism, nepotism and caste discrimination is damaging Kashmir society. “Our potential and creativity is ignored. This is one of the reasons why we have high cynicism in our society, and rise in cases like suicide, drug addiction and joining militancy. Our leaders have sown hate amongst us through their policies and practices. How can they expect the harvest of love? They will receive only hate from the youth,” he said.

Nepotism has been the standard formula for jobs at various departments like PHE, Irrigation, R&B, state schools, colleges and universities etc, and even the health department and other departments.

About three years ago, the lists of regularization of daily wagers were circulated on social media. It was found that three, four and even five members of a single family were adjusted for recruitment in different departments. Those who were regularized had not worked as daily wagers in any department.