Employee stages protest against District Officer
Pulwama, July 29: An employee from Sheep Husbandry Department Wednesday alleged that District Officer Pulwama attached him to Direction Office Srinagar when he requested him to pay the money that he had borrowed from him.
In Charge Stock Assistant at Sheep Extension Centre Mughal Pora village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Muhammad Maqbool Shah emerged in Press Enclave to narrate his part of story.
Shah told news agency KNT that District Officer Sheep Husbandry Pulwama, Dr Muhammad Shafi Mir purchased live stock from local market without screening. “Among this, the officer issued to rams (live stock) for my Centre in March 2018. It is illegal to purchase live stock without screening and when higher authorities came to know about it, they formed a Committee to probe the matter.”
“This Committee comprised of Chairman Dr Rafi, Lab Assistant Dr Rouf and Block Officer Shadimarg Dr Mustafa. I received a call from District Officer saying that the rams i have received will be replaced with two new ones. Before the officer could replace the two rams that he had purchased from local market without screening, the Committee visited my Centre and recorded my statement. I presented a ‘true’ picture which didn’t go down well with the District Officer.”
“After this episode, the District Officer told me that he could have resolved the issue personally and there was no need to tell everything to Committee.”
Muhammad Maqbool Shah said that the Committee recorded his statement in December 2019 and he was made a scapegoat and punished for the act which he has not committed.
“After 8 months, the Committee in presence of Block Officer and Technical Officer, Pulwama called me to inform that that they will resolve the issue amicably if I will pay Rs 27,000 to them. When i refused they started deducting the money from my salary on monthly basis. I was shocked because i was punished for the act committed by District Officer Dr Muhammad Shafi Mir,” he said.
He went on saying that the District Officer had borrowed Rs 3.72 lakh from him when he was constructing his house at KP Road Anantnag. “I lost trust in him, visited his office and requested him to clear the transaction. To my shock he refused to pay and when I confronted, he issued an attachment order in my favor and attached me to Direction Officer Srinagar,” Shah said.
When contacted District Officer Sheep Husbandry Pulwama Dr Muhammad Shafi Mir refuted the allegations saying he doesn’t owe anything to him. He said instead, the said employee misbehaved with him and he registered a complaint against him at police station. “Why should a Gazetted Officer like me would borrow from a Class 4th employee,” he said and refuted the allegations that he had purchased any rams without screening.
Director Sheep Husbandry said that he has no mandate to comment on the personal matters of his employees. He however, said the Committee constituted by Department has held Muhammad Maqbool Shah responsible and they have reported that he has replaced two rams of high breed with lower ones. “He has been attached for the act he has done and he will remain attached with Direction Office till inquiry is completed,” Abdul Salam told KNT.
