Jammu & Kashmir
Aroot Madni declines ‘job offer’ as CM orders ‘high level probe’ into KVIB appointments
Jammu: After allegations of nepostism in the appointments of the Jammu & Kashmir Khadi & Village Industries Board (KVIB) the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Sunday afternoon ordered a high level probe into the selection process adopted for the appointments.
Minutes after the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti ordered a high level probe into the appointments of Jammu & Kashmir Khadi & Village Industries Board, Aroot Madni, son of PDP leader Sartaj Madni “declined to accept the offer of appointment as Executive Officer from the Board”.
PDP Chief Spokesperson Rafi Ahmed Mir said, “Aroot Madni the son of Sartaj Madi has voluntarily declined to accept the appointment as Executive Officer Jammu & Kashmir Khadi & Village Industries Board (KVIB).”
According to News Agency KNS, Chief Secretary B B Vayas has been named the head of a high level committee constituted for probing the KVIB appointments and the committee has been asked to come up with its fact finding reports in short time.
Appointment of Sartaj Madni’s son, a senior PDP leader has raised eyebrows in all sections of the society while the opposition has accused the government of nepotism.
The Khadi and Village Industries Board had issued a notification in October 2016, seeking application for various posts including the Executive Officer, Assistant Executive Officer, Publicity Officer, and Field Publicity Officer.
On Thursday, the results were uploaded on their website.
Among the people selected for the post of executive officer is Syed Aroot Madni, who is the son of senior PDP leader Sartaj Madni.
Moreover, the list also features the nephew of Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, another PDP leader. He is in the waiting list for the post of Assistant Executive Officer.
The opposition accused the chief minister for ‘authorizing loot and plunder in the state.’
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“PDP’s tall rhetoric has fallen flat on its face and this recent list of the JKVIB is another proof of PDP’s insidious and nepotistic style of politics. Most of the people figuring in the final list issued by KVIB are either children of close associates of PDP leaders or have direct patronage from the powers that be,” National Conference Spokesman Junaid Azim Matoo said in a statement.
“The institutions of the state have been ravaged by the PDP and corruption has been institutionalized by the Chief Minister and her family members,” the NC Spokesperson claimed in a statement.
He also tweeted that local papers have given the development a ‘miss’ due to the fear of being ‘blackmailed’.
National newspapers take note of PDP’s nepotism in light of the KVIB list that includes children and kin of its leaders BUT some local newspapers give it a VERY CONSPICUOUS miss. Are they being harassed by the Govt? Blackmailed over ads? Why aren’t they allowed their freedom?
— Junaid Azim Mattu (@Junaid_Mattu) February 24, 2018
Matoo also touted the appointment of Madni’s son as a ‘cruel joke’ with the unemployed youth of the state.
However, PDP has said that everything was done in a transparent manner.
“Everything was done in a transparent manner. Sartaj Madni’s son also got selected. Does that mean that a political leader’s son is not competent enough to crack the competitive examinations,” PDP Chief Spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir told the Kashmir Monitor.
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He also added that that Aroot is well qualified and he got selected on the basis of merit.
The officials of the KIVB claimed that for the first time in the history of the Board,competitive exams have been conducted in a transparent manner.
“Secretary Law and Parliamentary Affairs was appointed as controller examinations. He conducted the examination by outsourcing to a professional agency. The officials of the Khadi and Village Industries Board had no role in conducting examinations, evaluation of papers, or conducting interviews,” Qadri told The Kashmir Monitor.
