Info blackout in J&K as DC Kupwara, DIPR employees come face to face

SRINAGAR: Amidst the election season, suspension and attachment of an assistant information officer by Deputy Commissioner Kupwara resulted into information blackout as all the offices of state Information department across Jammu and Kashmir were locked out while employees demanded the revocation of the suspension of their colleague.

Bashir Ahmad Sofi, assistant information officer, posted in north Kashmir's Kupwara, was Tuesday suspended by the district's Deputy Commissioner Anshul Garg for violating the Election Commission of India Guidelines.

As per the orders issued by Garg, also the District Election Officer, Sofi assumed the charge of District Information Officer (DIO) Kupwara on 16 March unauthorisedly without intimation to district information Officer Kupwara or his office in clear violation of rules laid down in this regard.

“Therefore in view of above Bashir Ahmad Sofi Assistant Information Officer, TIO, Handwara is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect and attached with Deputy District Election Officer Kupwara.

Soon after the order was issued, the officials from DIC Kupwara assembled within the vicinity of its office and raised slogans in favour of their suspended Information Officer demanding revocation of suspension order at the earliest.

The employees locked down the office asserting that Sofi was appointed by Director Information J&K against the vacancy.

The protesting employees claimed that, few days ago, Director Information has issued an order for Bashir Ahmad Sofi to take over as DIO Kupwara to look after the officer against the available vacancy.

Information Employees Association president Shabir Ahmad said, “Following the transfer of district information officer Kupwara, the Director Information department had given the charge of DIO Kupwara to senior most AIO Basheer Ahmad Sofi having 30 years of service in the information department but DC Kupwara while trespassing institutional jurisdiction in exercise of his powers suspended Sofi.”

However, as per the DDC Kupwara, the additional charge was given to Kashif Altaf on, 27 February, who is serving in the Handloom department as Assistant Director in view of forthcoming elections.

“Surprisingly, DC Kupwara without bringing the matter into the notice of Director Information asked Assistant Director Handicrafts, a junior KAS officer to hold the charge of DIO Kupwara,” Shabir Ahmad said.

“To protest the institutional trespassing in exercise of his powers by DC Kupwara we have locked all offices of the Information Department including the offices of director information, joint director information Kashmir and Jammu and all district information offices and the lockout will continue till the order is revoked,” he said.

Garg, however, said, “I am just following the guidelines of election commission of India which empowers me to take all the decision for smooth running of the election related work in the district. I have suspended Assistant Information Officer and given the charge to assistant director handicrafts not today but last month. If chief electoral officer asks me to revoke the order I have no issues as every action is subject to scrutiny by the chief electoral officer and the election commission of India.”