JAMMU: It will be a long-drawn battle for the educated youth of Jammu and Kashmir aspiring to be employed as Police Sub-Inspectors (PSIs), Junior Engineers (JEs) in various engineering departments, Finance Account Assistants or any other posts in J&K government because of scandals in the recruitment process involving the J&K Service Selection Boards and allied bodies.
The year 2023 can be aptly described as year of scandals involving the premier recruitment agency JKSSB that has been caught in the eye of storm over selection of educated youth in the process. The recruitment process for PSIs, JEs or FAAs has been lingering on for almost two years with completion nowhere in sight. Moreover, one controversial and blacklisted private company was hired by JKSSB in the selection process.
The Lieutenant Governor’s administration, directly controlled by the Central Government has been shying away from owning responsibility in the scandalous affairs of the JKSSB. The delay in the selection process and completion of the recruitment process has already made many youths ineligible because of age criteria since de-operationalisation of Article 370 of Indian Constitution in August 2019.
Though the investigating agencies of the Centre has made many arrests in connection with recruitment scandals, they are yet to come to final conclusion of the probe.
The L-G’s administration appears to have washed its hands off these scandalous affairs as no official statement was ever made since the exposure of the scam more than two years back. The J&K and Delhi-based newspapers have been writing a lot about the scandalous affairs in the recruitment process, but only investigating agencies have been leaking selective information about the investigations.
Some newspaper reports in November 2022 said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested seven people, including personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Jammu and Kashmir police, in an ongoing investigation of a case related to the Jammu and Kashmir Police recruitment scam.
The accused have been identified as CRPF head constable Pawan Kumar; CRPF constables Atul Kumar, Amit Kumar Sharma, and Sunil Sharma; J&K Police ASI Jaisuriya Sharma; and two civilians, Tarsem Lal and Asheesh Yadav.
The CBI had registered a case in August on the request of the Jammu & Kashmir administration.
The case was registered against 33 accused, including then medical officer, BSF Frontier Headquarters, Paloura; then member of Jammu & Kashmir Selection Board (JKSSB); then Under-Secretary and former Section Officer (JKSSB); a former CRPF officer; an ASI of Jammu and Kashmir Police; owner of a coaching centre in Akhnoor; a private company based at Bengaluru; private persons and others on the allegations of irregularities in the written examination for the posts of Sub-Inspectors in the J&K Police.
The exam was conducted by J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) on March 27, 2022. The results were declared on June 4, 2022. Reports in newspapers said that facing allegations of malpractices in the exam, the J&K administration constituted an inquiry committee to look into the matter. It was alleged that the accused conspired with officials of the JKSSB, the Bengaluru firm, beneficiary candidates & others, resulting in gross irregularities in the conduct of the written exam for sub-inspectors.
Another news report in Kashmir Observer that reported a scam related to recruitment of police Sub-Inspectors, Junior Engineers and Finance Account Assistants. It stated that a BSF officer, Karnail Singh, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in October 2022 for allegedly using touts to get his son the question paper of the Police Sub-Inspectors recruitment examination conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) in March 2022.
Singh was among 24 people charge-sheeted by the agency in the case on November 12, 2023 and was termed as the main accused and kingpin. The alleged scam led to the cancellation of a list of candidates selected for the posts.
Another news article on ABP Live reports that the Jammu and Kashmir Cyber Police have busted fake call centers and arrested 23 people for duping innocent citizens.
There was also an article in Outlook India that reports on the fire services recruitment scam, which is the latest in the list of scams that have surfaced in the UT this year. Earlier, the allegations of irregularities emerged in Jammu and Kashmir Police sub inspector recruitment examination, Finance Department, and Junior Engineers recruitment.
A report in The Times of India said that the CBI raided around 37 locations across Jammu division in an alleged Finance Accounts Assistant Examination scam of Jammu and Kashmir.
In August 2023, The New Indian Express that reports on the alleged scam in the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the article, an IAS officer named Ashok Parmar exposed a scam worth Rs 13,000 crore in the Jal Jeevan Mission in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress party has alleged that the officer is being harassed by the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
On Ayushman scam in Jammu and Kashmir 2023, one news report in Kashmir Observer that reports on the alleged scam in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the news article, a complaint was submitted before the Director, CBI seeking registration of FIR into Rs 500-700 Crores scam in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Scheme by Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed in 2022. The case was later transferred by the CBI to the Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau, J&K.
The article mentions that a local court in Jammu extended the time for the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to submit the latest status about the alleged scam in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir. The court had asked the ACB to present the status report on Saturday, September 30, 2023.
In the same case, there was a news report in NDTV which said that the former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik was summoned by the CBI for questioning in a Reliance Insurance scam in February 2023.
A news report in Hindustan Times in September 2023 said that the whistleblower in this case, advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed, had filed the complaint on October 10, 2022, originally to the director of the CBI seeking registration of an FIR into “₹500-700 crore scam in the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Scheme in the J&K”. However, the CBI had transferred the complaint on April 19 this year to the director, ACB, J&K.
The court of additional sessions judge (anti-corruption) Jammu, OP Bhagat on Wednesday extended time up to September 30 for the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Jammu, to submit latest status report of a complaint pertaining to a multi-crore scam in Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
The court of additional sessions judge (anti-corruption) Jammu, OP Bhagat on Wednesday extended time up to September 30 for the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Jammu, to submit latest status report of a complaint pertaining to a multi-crore scam in Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
The whistleblower in this case, advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed, had filed the complaint on October 10, 2022, originally to the director of the CBI seeking registration of an FIR into “₹500-700 crore scam in the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Scheme in the J&K”.
A report in Srinagar-based Greater Kashmir reported in February 2023 that “Fraud in Ayushman Bharat scheme, action against 13 J&K hospitals”
The report said that J&K state health agency (SHA) suspended the empanelment of 13 hospitals and imposed heavy penalties on 17 others for their involvement in fraud while implementing the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
Officials said over Rs 1.77 crore have been imposed as a penalty on the hospitals involved in fraudulent activities in 2022 out of which over Rs 1.34 crore have been recovered so far by the SHA.
As per official sources, the hospitals which have faced the action include Ibn Sina Hospital, Rs 24 lakh penalty imposed and empanelment suspended; Quality Care Hospital, Rs 6.64 lakh penalty imposed; Narayana Hospital, Rs 54.62 lakh penalty imposed; Ess Bee Hospital, empanelment suspended; Waseem Memorial Hospital, empanelment suspended.
In addition, Florence Hospital in Chanapora (Srinagar), Rs 5 lakh penalty imposed; Shadab hospital, Rs 22 lakh penalty imposed; Mohammadiya hospital, Rs 6 lakh penalty imposed; Kidney hospital in Sonwar (Srinagar), Rs 18.72 lakh penalty imposed. This hospital also faced suspension of its empanelment in February last year.
KD Eye Clinic Hospital, Rs 1 lakh penalty and suspension of empanelment; ASCOMS in Jammu, Rs 2.66 lakh penalty; while Al-Noor Hospital, Midcity Hospital and South City Nursing Home faced the suspension of their empanelment in September last year.
Centre for Eye care hospital, Rs 1.64 penalty and suspension of empanelment in December last year. Noora Hospital in Srinagar, Rs 5.54 lakh penalty imposed; Baba Nayak Hospital, Rs 69,000 penalty; Raksha Kidney Hospital, Rs 20 lakh penalty; and National Hospital Jammu, empanelment suspended.
But the Jammu and Kashmir administration was quick to respond and dismissed allegations of financial irregularities in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana – SEHAT (PMJAY-SEHAT) scheme in the Union Territory.
Addressing a press conference here, the Secretary Health and Medical Education, Bhupinder Kumar also rubbished claims of Rs 500 crore losses due to the ambitious healthcare scheme.
Kumar said that the total premium paid to Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company (BAGIC) during the policy period from December 26, 2020, to March 14, 2022, was Rs. 304.59 crore, while the total claims payout to hospitals (both public and private) by BAGIC was Rs. 398.41 crores.
“Consequently, the allegation of a loss is unsubstantiated as the insurance company incurred a monetary loss of Rs. 93.82 crore,” he said.
He also slammed misinformation about the termination clause and contract renewal that have surfaced.
“According to the contract between BAGIC and the State Health Agency, the maximum term was fixed for three years and renewable every 12 months. The continuation of the contract beyond the first year was to be based on mutual agreement, and the insurance company decided to exit after the first year due to incurred losses,” he said.
To avoid service interruption, Kumar said, the State Health Agency of J&K entered into an interim arrangement with BAGIC on a Stop Loss basis until a new insurance company was selected.
During this period, he said, the government bore the entire risk of loss of claims. The arrangement was cost-effective and served the public interest by ensuring the continuity of healthcare services.
“Contrary to allegations that the number of eligible families was increased to benefit the insurance company, the government clarified that the number of families remained the same during the policy period, from December 26, 2020, to December 25, 2021, and the subsequent interim period of 79 days, totaling 21.24 lakhs,” the Secretary H&ME said.
The Government of Jammu and Kashmir emphasized its adherence to the guidelines of the National Health Authority (NHA), Government of India, for the scheme’s implementation. This includes the use of the Model Tender Document for the transparent selection of insurance companies and the adoption of Health Benefits Packages (2.2 version) for implementation.
Since the launch of the PMJAY-SEHAT scheme, Kumar said, the government has paid Rs. 1175.32 crore in premiums to insurance companies. In return, insurance companies disbursed a total of Rs. 1,249.33 crores in claims to empaneled hospitals, benefiting approximately 5.67 lakh patients.
“The scheme has provided crucial medical care for patients with life-consuming and life-threatening diseases,” he said.
“The insurance model has shifted the risk to insurance companies, leading them to pay nearly Rs. 74 Crores beyond the premium to empaneled public and private hospitals. This model has strengthened the healthcare system within the UT and significantly reduced out-of-pocket expenses for families in need of hospitalization,” he added.
Additionally, the Secretary said, a feedback system using QR codes and a 104 Call Centre has been implemented, with nearly 99% of patients rating their treatment experience as Excellent or Good.
Kumar emphasized that allegations intended to discredit the scheme are baseless, false, and aimed at maligning its image. It reiterated its commitment to providing quality healthcare services to the public.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar, Additional Secretary in Chief Secretary office, Vishal Sharma, Joint Director HQ Information, Naresh Kumar, Deputy Director Information PR Jammu, Dr. Vikas Sharma were also present during the press conference.
In another case, an official statement in September 2023 claimed that CB Jammu has unearthed multi-crore ‘unlocked e-stamp usage scam’ in Bishnah, an agriculture town near Jammu, the winter capital of J&K.
The officials statement said that sleuths of Crime Branch Jammu conducted raids in Bishnah and Greater Kailash areas in September, 2023 to unearth a multi crores unlocked e-stamp usage scam.
Taking cognisance of the matter, the L-G’s government has appointed Inspector General of Registration, J&K, as the inquiry officer to conduct a thorough probe into the matter and complete the inquiry by September 16.
A Crime Branch team headed by SSP Crime Branch, Jammu, Shailender Kumar, assisted by DySP Shazia Akhtar, along with a posse of security personnel raided the premises of two advocates in Chak Hasla, Bishnah and Greater Kailash, Jammu.
A residential property and a cyber cafe run by two brothers in Bishnah town were also searched during the raids, they said. The owners of the cyber cafe have been identified as Arun Dev Singh and Deepak Jamwal.
As per the statement, the raids were conducted on the basis of several complaints lodged with Crime Branch Jammu regarding the usage of tampered unlocked e-stamp papers for the registration of several acres of land in favour of the beneficiaries in the SDM South office using online software, thereby causing a loss of several crores to the state exchequer.
In e-stamp, locked means an e-stamp paper is registered. Applicants cannot edit the content or cancel the application once locked. Applicants cannot even claim the refund once the e-stamp paper is locked while as unlocked means an e-stamp paper is on preliminary view and it can be edited or tampered with.
During the raids, the Crime Branch Jammu team has recovered several incriminating documents and gadgets from the houses and the offices of the advocates and the owners of the cyber cafe, sources said.
“No person has been arrested in the case thus far,” added sources.
SSP Crime Branch, Shailender Kumar, didn’t reply to the repeated phone calls of the Excelsior to confirm the development.
Meanwhile, in order to probe the malpractices, Government has appointed Sheikh Arshad Ayub, Inspector General of Registration, J&K as the Inquiry Officer, and asked him to complete the enquiry within seven days i.e. by September 16, 2023.
The inquiry officer has been asked to conduct a detailed inquiry into the circumstances and malpractices associated with “unlocked e-stamp usage” at Registration office South I, Jammu and other offices (if any).
He will examine the detailed facts of the issue and take necessary corrective steps, if any, for the improvement of online software and formulate a detailed action plan in consultation with the DC Stamps to check and plug any misuse of online system immediately.
“The inquiry officer shall be at liberty to utilize the services of any other Registrar/Sub-Registrar/Revenue Officer to complete the inquiry in seven days,” read an order issued by the Secretary to the Government, Revenue Department, Dr Piyush Singla.
A report in NDTV quoting officials of J&K government said that the CBI conducted searches at six locations in four cities in connection with the alleged graft flagged by former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik in awarding the contract for the Rs 2,200-crore civil work for the Kiru Hydro Power Project in Kishtwar in 2019.
The searches were spread across three locations, including the premises of Kanwaljeet Singh Duggal of Mainstream IT Solutions Private Limited and D P Singh, the officials said.
Three premises of the company and Duggal in Delhi and one each in Shimla, Noida and Chandigarh were covered during the operation, the officials said.
This was the fourth round of searches in the case in which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had already carried out similar operations on April 21 and July 6 last year and May 17 in 2023, they said.
Malik, who was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 23, 2018 to October 30, 2019, had alleged that he was offered a Rs 300-crore bribe for clearing two files, including the one pertaining to the project.
“The case was registered on allegations of malpractices in award of the contract worth approximately Rs 2,200 crore of civil works of Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project (HEP) to a private company in the year 2019,” the CBI had said earlier.
The agency has already booked the former chairman of the Chenab Valley Power Projects (Private) Limited, Navin Kumar Chaudhary, former officials M S Babu, M K Mittal and Arun Kumar Mishra and Patel Engineering Limited.
Chaudhary is a 1994-batch Jammu and Kashmir-cadre (now AGMUT cadre) Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.
“Power Projects (P) Ltd) for re-tender through e-tendering with reverse auction after cancellation of ongoing tendering process, the same was not implemented (as per decision taken in 48th board meeting) and tender was finally awarded to Patel Engineering Limited,” the FIR has alleged.
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