ZEO Qazigund and Clerical Associate Accused of Demanding 70k Bribe for Aaya Post, Applicant Files Complaint with DC Office Anantnag

Sameer Ahmed:

Anantnag: In a concerning development, an applicant from the Nagress village area in South Kashmir’s Qazigund region has lodged a serious accusation against the Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) and a clerk in the education department. The applicant alleges that the ZEO Qazigund and the said clerk are demanding a bribe of Rs 70,000 for the appointment to the Aaya (caretaker) post in the village.

The aggrieved applicant has taken decisive action by filing a formal complaint against the ZEO and the clerk in the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Anantnag. In the written complaint, the applicant contends that both the ZEO and the clerk are obstructing the appointment of any candidate from Nagress village to the Aaya post in the school. Shockingly, the applicant claims that the ZEO and the clerk are showing favoritism toward a family residing 5 kilometers away from Nagress village, with three members employed in government positions.

Despite the post being advertised for GHS Nagress school, the applicant alleges that the concerned officials are blatantly disregarding candidates from Nagress village.

It is noteworthy that the Government of Jammu and Kashmir Directorate of Samagra Shiksha J&K recently advertised Aaya posts through order No 07 of CHIRAG 2023 dated 09-01-2023 to fill vacant positions in schools.

The Nagress village area is categorized under the ST (Scheduled Tribe) community, adding another layer of complexity to the situation. In light of these allegations, the applicant has sought justice and intervention from the Deputy Commissioner of Anantnag.

However, in response to these serious accusations, ZEO Qazigund, Gh Rasool, vehemently refutes the claims. Rasool contends that the applicant is pressuring the office to violate established criteria norms. He asserts that the selection process is still ongoing, and no candidate has been finalized.

According to Rasool, the applicant is urging them to bypass the criteria norms and make an illegal adjustment in the school. He emphasizes that the applicant does not meet the established criteria. Rasool adds that the applicant had approached the office through the local MLA and BDC member previously, and after careful consideration, it was communicated that if the applicant does not meet the criteria, they cannot be accommodated. Rasool concludes by stating that the applicant is making false accusations against the ZEO and the office.