FAM Row | Probe finds Dir Tourism drunk

JUNAID SIDIQ

SRINAGAR: The inquiry into conduct of Director Tourism Tassaduq Jeelani while addressing a group of travel traders from all across the country at an event, allegedly in an inebriated condition, has confirmed that he was drunk during the event.

His conduct at the FAM tour had eventually led to his ouster on November 1, when state government removed Jeelani from his post and ordered an inquiry into his conduct.

Sources told The News Now that during the investigation Jeelani have told the officials that he doesn’t remember anything about what he said while addressing the FAM delegates in the evening.

They said he told investigators that he was offered drink by some of the local business players involved in the FAM tour, and after consuming it, he doesn’t remember what happened.

The government had ordered probe into the FAM tour, while Jeelani was removed from his post, after his controversial video of address to the FAM delegates in Gulmarg appeared on social media.

In the video clip, the official could be heard making controversial statements that went viral.

On November 1, Jeelani was removed.

“In the interest of administration, Tassaduq Jeelani, KAS, shall, with immediate effect, cease to discharge the duties and functions attached to the post of Director Tourism, Kashmir which shall henceforth and until further orders, be discharged by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir in addition to his own duties,” had said an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD).

In a separate order, on the same day, the Government ordered that the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir shall also conduct an inquiry into the incidents reported to have occurred during the events organized by the Tourism Department under the “Kashmir Familiarization Tour” from October 25 to October 27, 2018.

Sources said just before the Gulmarg event, the Director was on foreign tour where he had made similar gestures causing huge embarrassment to the government .

Sources said that Jeelani’s ouster followed unauthorized re-appropriation of Rs 2 crore of publicity budget to a failed off-season festival in the Valley.