5 J&K govt staffers dismissed for being a ‘threat to security’

On Saturday, the J&K administration issued termination orders of Afaq Ahmad Wani, manager of Baramulla Central Co-operative Bank, Syed Iftikhar Andrabi, a village-level worker, Tanveer Saleem Dar, a constable of police’s auxiliary wing, Irshad Ahmad Khan, an orderly in Jal Shakti department, and Ab Momin Peer, an assistant lineman in Power Development Department.

“The Lieutenant Governor is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and on the basis of the information available that the activities of Wani… are such as to warrant his dismissal from the service,” reads the order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) on Saturday. “And where as the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied under sub clause (C) of the proviso of clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold an enquiry in the case of Wani… Accordingly, the Lieutenant Governor hereby dismisses Wani… from service with immediate effect,” it added.

Wani is a resident of Maratgam village of north Kashmir’s Handwara.

Article 311 (2) (C) allows the government to terminate its employees without seeking an explanation from them or ordering an inquiry into their conduct. While around 34 government employees have been terminated under the controversial Article so far, the government hasn’t shared with them or the media the reasons for their termination.

In a similar worded order, the government has directed termination of other four employees. Of the five terminated employees, four are from north Kashmir — three from Handwara and one from Sopore — while one, Tanveer Saleem Dar, belongs to Srinagar.

Over the last one year, the J&K administration has terminated services of more than 40 employees — five from Jammu region and rest from the Kashmir valley. Barring Devinder Singh, a Deputy Superintendent of Police who was arrested along with top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Syed Naveed, all the terminated employees are Muslims.