Probe massive backdoor appointments, financial irregularities in J&K Bank: Harsh

NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi, Apr 25
Alleging politicization of J&K Bank and its abuse by the rulers for furtherance of their political and economic interests, a strong contingent of panther activists spearheaded by Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman staged a vociferous protest demonstration outside the Zonal Office of J&K Bank in Jammu today. The agitated protestors accused the State's largest financial institution of acting as a tool in the hands of corrupt politicians besides indulging in massive frauds and irregularities and torched the effigy of the govt.
Addressing the media, Harsh Dev Singh said that during the past three years several thousands of backdoor appointments had been made in the various branches of J&K Bank without notifying advertisements for the posts or following the formal recruitment process. He said that there were reports that several candidates were illegally doled jobs in the said bank on the recommendations of the MLAs and Minsters of the ruling clique at the cost of meritorious and deserving candidates who were covertly divested of the opportunity to compete. Rumours were doing rounds that money worth 4-5 lakhs per candidate had exchanged hands to confer favours, Harsh rued. He said that with the post of Bank Chairman always going the Kashmir way, the Jammu youth continued to remain deprived in view of their gross neglect in the hands of a highly biased administration. He further rebuked the J&K Bank for facilitating en-masse illegal appointments under the pretext of enjoying immunity from the scope of RTI Act and judicial scrutiny as it was not amenable to the writ jurisdiction of High Court in view of it not having been declared ‘state' within the meaning and scope of constitution.
Singh said that BJP-PDP alliance was squarely responsible for breeding corruption, nepotism and favouritism in the sphere of employment which had been a root cause of embitterment among the youth.
Questioning the credibility of J&K Bank, Harsh Dev Singh divulged that earlier on several occasions the said bank had denied the supply of information to the applicants under J&K RTI Act 2009 on the ground that the bank was not a ‘Public Authority'. Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Gagan Partap Singh, Parshotam Parihar, Khajoor Singh, Rajeshwar Singh Sambyal, Mohinder Singh, Rashpaul Singh, Udhayveer Singh, Stiffness Gill, Rohit Sharma, Rajesh Sharma, Lovely Singh, Ashok Chouhan besides others.