Reported by Akshay Azad in Greaterkashmir.com on 04 August 2012
73 need based employees engaged in 1 Division alone Lastupdate:- Sat, 4 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT GreaterKashmir.com

Jammu, Aug 3: While the state government has banned engagement of casual or need based workers in all government departments, some ministers, in blatant violation of the orders, have appointed 73 persons in a Single Division of Public Works (PWD)- the department in the charge of chief minister Omar Abdullah.

In reply to an RTI application filed by RTI activist Darvinder Singh, the PWD department has given details of only one divisions – Jammu Division – III, including its divisions (Marh and Akhnoor) where 73 `need-based’ or `casual employees’ were engaged in last few years on the recommendations of some sitting ministers. The applicant had sought details of the engagement in three divisions but information has been provided to him with regard to the only one division.

Minister for Health, Horticulture and Floriculture Sham Lal Sharma tops the list as on his recommendation 41 persons were engaged on temporary basis. “During his tenure as Member of Legislative Assembly of Akhnoor he had recommended appointment of 28 employees, while 13 more were appointed on his recommendations in sub division Akhnoor after he took the charge of Minister of Health, Horticulture and Floriculture.

“Sham Lal is followed by none other but his own elder brother Member Parliament Jammu-Poonch Constituency Madan Lal Sharma, who has recommended appointment of 9 persons in PWD sub division Akhnoor” the reply said.
Member of Legislative Council Ajay Sadhotra and Gulchain Singh Charak had also recommended appointment of four employees each in PWD sub division Marh, while MLA Raipur Domana Bharat Bhushan has recommended engagement of 3 persons, former minister Mula Ram of 2 employees.

Member Parliament Lal Singh, former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, MLA Surjeet Singh Slathia, deputy chief minister Tara Chand, Minister of State for (R&B) Health and Medical Education Department Javed Dar, MLA Indu Pawar, Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla, Health and Medical Education Minister RS Chib, former minister GM Saroori and former Minister Jugal Kishore have managed to appoint one employee each in PWD (R&B) department, sub division Marh, the reply revealed.