Tale of a ‘fraud’ Director thriving on ‘fake’ birth testimonial
Jammu: Immediate superannuation of Syed Shabir Shafi, Director (P&S) of J&K Economics and Statistics (Gazetted) Service, posted in Industries and Commerce Department, is no news. And, if all there is anything worth news in the ‘breaking news’ is the Government ordering ‘Salary after March 31, 2021 to be recovered from the officer’. It is a win-win situation for the officer, who has been retired for committing forgery in his date of birth. Does the recovery of salary beyond a particular date exonerate the disgraceful officer for the offences committed? Shouldn’t he have been booked and arrested immediately.
The retirement has preceded a thorough probe by multiple agencies, which have been candid in detecting the fraud. As per the order issued by the Additional Chief Secretary Finance vide Government Order No 21-FD/2022 of 01-02-2022, “In terms of article 35-AA(d) of the J&K Civil Services Regulations, Vol-I, necessary correction in the date of birth needs to be made in the service book of the said officer and in terms of Article 226(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services Regulations, 1956, Vol-I every Government employee has to retire on attaining the age of sixty years which in this case would emerge as March 31, 2021 (Thirty First of March Two Thousand and Twenty One); and in terms of Government instructions No.l below Article 226(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services Regulations, 1956, Vol-I, retirement of a Government servant is automatic on attaining the age of compulsory retirement and in absence of specific orders to the contrary by the competent authority a Government Servant must retire on due date.”
This is the official side of the story which relates to ‘compulsory retirement’ of the officer as per the Civil Services Conduct Rules. What about the criminal action to be taken against the fraudster? His retirement has been ordered with the approval of the Lieutenant Government, who is both the executive and the constitutional head of the Union Territory. He should have been advised to take a simultaneous action of retiring the officer and booking him under the law. Though the detailed order issued by the Finance Department stresses the ‘need’ for investigation (perhaps to the criminal side of the story) yet failure on proceeding against the offender is a lease to him, which he use for manipulations and other practices to get out of the noose of the law. The order states, “It has been established by the J&K Board of School Education that the Date of Birth of the officer is April 1, 1961 instead of April 1, 1966; and whereas, from the above mentioned facts, prima facie it appears that a fraud has been committed by way of manipulation of the actual date of birth which needs to be investigated and dealt with according to law. In fact the matter should have been handed over to the Vigilance Organisation or Anti Corruption, which has a proper mechanism to deal with such offences, if it really wishes.
The retirement of an officer is nothing new in Jammu and Kashmir, the state of affairs in which is murkier than the Dal Lake. If a thorough review of the antecedents of the officials is undertaken, many skeletons will fall from the cupboard. They are the parasites who have sucked the blood of common people by fleecing the exchequer. They commit all types of frauds during their normal or extended service careers. In the instant case, the government should undertake an audit of his working during the past nearly a year and identify the beneficiaries, if any, of the decision taken by him, as he was holding a pivotal assignment in the Industries and Commerce Department-an important agency for the implementation of the ambitious start-up programme.
Jammu and Kashmir is currently under the spell of Lt Governor’s Rule and there is no political interference in the administration as such. The incumbent in the Raj Bhavan, is expected to rise to the occasion and undertake a massive exercise to identify, name and shame the rogue elements, who have been indulging in all sorts of omissions and commissions over the years. By doing so, the Lieutenant Governor will not only free the ‘Aam Aadmi’ of Jammu and Kashmir from the shackles of the white colored sharks but also earn the good will of the people in general.