Agriculture Department turns a blind eye as corruption charges loom over an officer in Poonch
Abdul Basit
Poonch, June 23: The Department of Agriculture in Jammu has come under scrutiny for its inaction regarding an ongoing inquiry into corruption charges against one of its Assistant Directors in Poonch district. Despite the existence of substantial evidence, no action has been taken against the accused officer.
According to evidence and documents obtained by Kashmir Convener, the Assistant Director of Sheep Breeding Farm Balnoi in Poonch district has been implicated in a massive corruption scandal within the department.
Several call recordings have allegedly revealed instances of rampant harassment of staff members by the accused officer at the Sheep Breeding Farm Balnoi in District Poonch.
Earlier, the farm's staff had raised allegations that the Assistant Director had been systematically exploiting and extorting money from employees, even resorting to demanding bribes for processing their salaries.
On May 30, 2023, a complaint was filed with the office of the Joint Director, prompting the formation of a departmental inquiry committee to investigate the allegations. However, despite conducting the inquiry on June 9, 2023, the committee failed to meet the deadline of June 16, 2023, for submitting its report.
Shockingly, no action has been taken against the accused officer forcing complainants to believe that the accused is being allowed to retain his powers and potentially manipulate records to erase evidence of irregularities.
The inquiry committee was provided with written statements from several employees, along with two audio clips (currently in the possession of Kashmir Convener), which corroborate the claims of bribery demands made by the Assistant Director of SBF Balnoi.
The collective complaint, endorsed by approximately a dozen employees, clearly emphasizes the urgent need for higher authorities to address the concerns of the staff and take immediate action in the best interest of the department.
The department officials said the extent of corruption and harassment uncovered at the Sheep Breeding Farm Balnoi is deeply alarming, as it undermines the institution's integrity and compromises the welfare of its dedicated employees.
While talking to Kashmir Convener over the issue, the Director of Sheep Husbandry in Jammu Dr. Naseem Javaid Choudhary said he has other priorities in the department rather than focusing on such claims.
He emphasized that the accused officer would continue to hold his position until the reports of complaints are proven, highlighting that no one can remove him unless found guilty.
Although the deadlines for report submissions have already passed, the Director expressed confidence in receiving the final report from the constituent team within the next two weeks.
