Applicants allege illegal selection of Lumberdar , demand election for Lumberdar post : Anantnag

Sameer Ahmad

Anantnag:  The inhabitants of Charigam village area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag District have alleged that the concerned Tehsildar has  selected a Lumberdar without any election in the village thus violating the norms under the Jammu and Kashmir Lambardari Act.

At least 6 applicants had applied for the post of Lumberdar in village ,while talking to Arising state the applicants said that the concerned Tehsildar has selected Lumberdar without any election in the village. They accused several officials in Revenue department of dispensing favours to Lumberdar who has  been selected  without conducting any election in the village.

Added that the concerned official has violated norms to select a Lumberdar without any election in the village, they requested district Magistrate Anantnag to look into the issue and demanded a high level investigation in the matter. The applicants demanded free and fair elections to be conducted in the village and  elect a new Lumberdar  eligible for the post.

However ,Arising state has received an appointment order copy wide order Number TSLR/MM/19/204 Dated, 25/09/2019 which states that one Mohammad Ramzan Padder Lumberdar Charigam expired on 14-10-2018. In this regard a notice was served to the inhabitants of village charigam on 19-12-2018 for appointment of new Lumberdar of village charigam. However, only four applicants have applied for the said post in stipulated time. Due to the current circumstances and to avoid public inconvenience and a keep vigil on Sarkar Kacharie land this office may be authorized to engage Gh. Hassan Dar son of Kabir Dar serial No six as Temporary look after Lumberdar charigam till the final selection is made under rules.

The selected applicant had received the confirmation order from the ACR office wide order Number 18/DCA of 2021 Dated 06-02-2021 the order reads that the “the action taken by the Tehsildar Sallar in appointing Gh Hassan Dar son of Kabir Dar resident of Charigam Tehsil Sallar District Anantnag vide order number TSLR/MM/19/204 Dated, 25/09/2019 is hereby confirmed in pursuance of rule 14(4) of J&K Lumbardari Rules as amended from time to time.

Meanwhile, talking to the Arising state Tehsildar Sallar refuted the allegations and said that we hired him on contractual basis for five months without any salary, after five months the SDM ordered to release his salary. He had received his confirmation order from ACR office Anantnag. Added that it is a purely contractual post if the inhabitants want to change the Lumberdar they can change it, he said.

Tehsildar Sallar also said that the selected applicant had applied before the five applicants however ,in an order copy wide order Number TSLR/MM/19/204 Dated; 25/09/2019 reveals that the selected applicant had applied in the last.