Shrine Board’s ‘Extension Raj’ promoting favoritism & nepotism

Sham Lal Accounts Officer and Dhunichand, retired Tehsildar re-employed just after retirement, few more in row
Few officers on deputation in Shrine Board are facing charges such as misuse of official position in UT of JK
The Chairman of Board must artfully transform temple management system into a transparent and accountable organization
GY CORRESPONDENT
katra, Oct 26
“Extension raj’ is prevalent in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board under the Chairmanship of Lt. Governor amounts to favouritism and denies opportunity to deserving officers to reach next level of hierarchy.This year decision taken by the Chairman of the Board to grant a extension of service to Sh. Gopal Pujari on the post of Head Pujari has left the other Pujaries seething with a sense of resentment and disquiet. In past many attempts by means of backdoor entry were made by these state government JKAS officers but alertness of print and social media prevented them to act nefariously. Another Sham Lal Accounts Officer and Dhunichand, retired Tehsildar reemployed just after retirement. Serving and retired employees are commenting these extensions being propagated by the Shrine Board amounted to favoritism and obliging such officials, which had helped in financial bungling and funds and helped in purchasing personal articles from the Shrine Board’s funds and passing huge medical expenditure bills of officers on deputation. Many former chief Account officers are behind for awarding and recommending extension to Sham Lal and few others. Serving and retired employees with the fear of administrative retribution said that gag orders served to the union leaders and other employees and many departmental enquires are initiated against responsible employees who openly speaks on financial bungling, procurement frauds, AMC frauds, plantation frauds and misuse of official position by the JKAS officers.Few retired official who were superannuated were telephonically contacted who were reluctant to be quoted on such issues, however, expressed that such extension are granted to Yes Man and boot lickers as they have also applied for extension but denied because they worked for the Board interest and not for the corrupt officers on deputation who looted Shrine Board not only financially but morally too. Extensions in service are basically given to those officials of the Shrine Board by the State Government Officers on deputation so that these retired officers can help them in financial irregularities and fulfill their vested interest.
Another re-employed Accounts Officer Sudershan who attained age of 80 years and retired Tehsildar Dhuni Chand are serving and has been given extensions to continue on such a responsible position whereas there is fraudulent & illegal encroachment of land and properties in Banganga and Katra but no action is taken on such issues by these retired official.Many young serving accounts officers are enjoying plum postings in Central Office, Katra because due to lack of human resources mind tools of personnel section and Chief Accounts Officer who are also financial controllers. These retired Accounts Officers provides souvenirs items to senior bureaucrats serving in government who recommends such extension year after year for them.
It is pertinent to mention that few officers on deputation in the Shrine Board are facing charges such as misuse of official position in the Union Territory of the JK and enquires as well as FIRs are registered in the Anti Corruption agencies against them. But in the Board they are showing their position as honest as like Raja Harish Chander. Due to lack of vigilance setup in the Shrine Board and lack of jurisdiction of Anti Corruption Bureau these state government officials are misusing official positions and openly indulged in misappropriation of funds.
Charak who has been denied gratuity and his case is sub-judice in the hon’ble High Court said that granting of extensions to the superannuated employees and re-appointment on contract basis after retirement, has a demoralizing effect on the employees who are to be promoted or elevated. Moreover extensions in service to retired employees violates Shri Mata Vaisho Devi service rules and causes injustice to the serving officers and employees, who otherwise would have been considered for appointment to these posts. He further said that the existing unemployment scenario demanded increasing the employment avenues for the youths. The extension policy for existing employees is contrary to that. CEO must identify the corrupt employees on deputation having more than three year tenure and should repatriate them so that his own image may not maligned.
He said officers on deputation are free from vigilance and anti corruption setup otherwise many of them may have been booked under criminal frauds and misappropriation of funds. For an example Vigilance and Enforcement (V&E) officials in Andra Pardesh have unearthed a huge scam in the utilisation of the donations. In Kashvishvanath temple fake tickets being used by some touts. There are economic frauds in temple management system all over India and there is strengthened internal vigilance system in all known temples like Tirupati Bala Ji etc, how can one assume that administration of Shrine Board is transparent and fraud free. But internal vigilance in Shrine Mata Vaishno Devi is handled by those officers who are themselves misuse their official position and misappropriate funds and such officers has totally crushed and grabbed the dead vigilance cell of the Board.
On the other hand there is severe shortage of staff in sanitation, catering and security services, as more than 200 positions have remained unfilled since 2020 due to a lack of recruitment efforts and retirement and absence to tools for manpower forecasting.This deficiency is directly impeding the Shrine Boards ability to carry out its operational functions effectively whereas Shrine Boards officers are adamant to hire poor quality outsourced Security and Sanitation Services.The Chairman of the Board who is also Lt. Governor of the Uniion Territory of Jammu and Kashmir should bring transformation in the internal structure of the Shrine Board needs to shake up structures and artfully transform temple management system into a transparent and accountable organization by repatriating entire staff having more than two year tenure in the Board.