06-10-2023 : PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti, took a critical stance on Friday against the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, Arun Kumar Mehta, in response to his recent statement regarding “undeserving candidates being given government jobs in J&K through illegal and backdoor means.” Mufti expressed her dissatisfaction with the Chief Secretary’s remarks, emphasizing that if such allegations are true, the administration should investigate the matter thoroughly.
Mufti’s remarks came in reaction to Arun Kumar Mehta’s statement, which he made during an event in north Kashmir’s Kupwara on Thursday. The Chief Secretary had stated, “I feel ashamed to say that over 2.50 lakh undeserving candidates were given government jobs in J&K through illegal and backdoor means.” He also emphasized that government jobs are now being awarded only to deserving candidates.
Mehbooba Mufti called upon the Chief Secretary to publicly disclose the identities of those responsible for these alleged backdoor appointments and urged him to initiate a comprehensive investigation. She stated, “If such a thing is there, he should reveal who has done this. Officers are involved in the backdoor appointments. The ED, CBI, and NIA are with them. Let them take action against those responsible for it.”
Mufti raised concerns about the recruitment processes that took place under the current administration’s tenure, particularly in positions such as sub-inspectors, junior engineers, and personnel in the finance department. She alleged the involvement of certain blacklisted companies in the recruitment exercises and called for accountability.
She also highlighted the allegations made by Ashok Parmer, an IAS officer in the Jal Shakti department, who claimed a massive Rs 13,000 crore “scam” in the department. Mufti insisted that the Chief Secretary directly address these accusations.
According to Mufti, such issues are eroding the trust of the people and worsening the plight of educated, unemployed individuals. She asserted, “Let him (the Chief Secretary) talk about that (allegations of scams and irregularities). This government is deep in corruption from top to bottom.”