SHAKEELA ANDRABI
SRINAGAR: On June 11, 2021, the STATE TIMES published a report on how employees of various Government Departments especially of School Education Deptt Kashmir were flouting service rules and engaged in part- time engagements, despite getting hefty salaries in a lust to earn more.
Number of teachers, masters, senior lecturers and even heads of institutions like high and higher secondary schools are main violators of service rules and can be found at Srinagar stations of All India Radio and Doordarshan.
According to sources, a number of faculty members of the education department are working as casual News Readers, News Casters, News Editors, Announcers, Programme Presenters etc. on monthly-assignment basis in AIR Radio and DDK Srinagar.
The report also stated that these two organizations have paid employees on shift-wise duty roster, as there are proper documents of employees, working as casual assignees. It has been observed that these government officials are following all guidelines of Prasar Bharati Broadcasting Corporation of India, like other casual workers.
When matter was taken-up with Additional Secretary School Education, he assured that he would look into the matter and if any lapse or violation in service rules would be found, appropriate action against the erring employees would be taken.
Taking a serious note of the matter, now the Divisional administration Kashmir has sought details of the government employees of various Departments working as artists in Doordarshan Kendra Kashmir and All India Radio (AIR), Kashmir.
In an official communication issued to Director School Education, Information, Horticulture, Social Welfare and Handicrafts Department of Kashmir, the Additional Commissioner Kashmir, who is also the Divisional Vigilance officer said that some employees of various departments were working as artists in AIR Kashmir and Doordarshan without having proper sanction of the government, which is mandatory under Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (Conduct) Rules 1971.
“The said rule envisages that no government employee shall, except with the previous sanction of the government, own wholly or in part, or conduct or participate in the management of any newspaper or other periodical publication,” he added.
The rules further state that it said that no government employee shall, except with the previous sanction of the government or of the prescribed authority, or except in the bona fide of his duties publish a book himself or through a publisher or contribute an article or a compilation of articles.
The divisional administration has further asked the Directors of various government departments to apprise details of employees working under their control and participating in programmes of Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar or All Indian Radio, Kashmir.
“It is also informed that employees participating in programmes of Dordarshan or All India Radio, Kashmir, it may be communicated whether they have sought proper permission or not,” the letter reads.
The directors have been asked to furnish the details of all these employees in a prescribed format devised by the divisional administration.
The departments have been asked to submit the names of the employee, department, his designation, details of postings, name of the programme in which the employee is participating and whether the employee has got government sanction under rules or not.