Jammu :The activists of National Secular Forum (NSF) today held a strong demonstration against the UT administration for fraudulently granting another two year term to Prof Veena Pandita as chairperson of J&K Board of School Education without conducting the interview.
The activists, while following the social distancing norms, raised slogans against Advisor K K Sharma, who holds portfolio of School Education Department, and Principal Secretary Asgar Samoon for giving approval to the re-appointment of Prof Veena Pandita. They were also carrying pla-cards highlighting demand for revocation of appointment order.
Addressing the activists, Dr Vikas Sharma, NSF state president, alleged that UT administration threw all norms to wind and displayed utter disregard to Union Govt’s clarion call for corruption free and transparent to the people of J&K by giving another term to Prof Veena Pandita without conducting the interview.
He said “The UT administration once again failed to live up to the expectations of people and Centre’s decision to make J&K a union territory has failed to serve the purpose as corruption and lack of transparency still persists here. The re-appointment order of Prof Veena Pandita as chairperson of J&K BOSE for another full term of three year is a glaring example of corruption.”
Dr Sharma said that UT administration had invited applications for the post of JKBOSE chairperson and especially kept the maximum age of applicant at 57 years but neither the applications were processed and none was called for interview and surprisingly, the Govt came out with an order appointing Prof Veena Pandita as chairperson for another full term of two years.”
He alleged that a deal has been struck between the people sitting at the helm of affairs and Prof Veena Pandita under which the order of re-appointment has been issued. “I want to ask Hon’ble Lt Governor Sh. G C Murmu that what’s happening under his nose. Does he know what the Principal Secretary and Advisor have done? The UT administration owes explanation to the people of J&K and we have the right to know as to why interview was not conducted for the post. Also, why the Govt flouted its own norms by appointing a person who is already retired from the active service and above the age of 60 years whereas the age limit was fixed at 57 years,” he said.
The NSF state president demanded that appointment order of JKBOSE chairperson shall be revoked immediately and fix the responsibility for this blunder. He threatened to launch wide scale agitation against this corruption ridden appointment.