Shayin’s role under UT scanner

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 23

A day after terminating the service of former Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shayin’s ex-PA Poonam Malik, the UT Administration is reviewing the DC’s role in her appointment in the State Agriculture Marketing Board.

Besides, the UT is also looking into the role of Kishori Lal, former Law Officer, Chandigarh State Agricultural Marketing Board.

While issuing the termination orders yesterday, Deputy Commissioner SB Deepak Kumar had said Poonam Malik’s appointment was wrong as earlier she was an employee of the Red Cross Society, which is an NGO, and a Red Cross employee could not be absorbed in the government service.

A senior UT official informed that since Malik’s appointment was found to be wrong, they were reviewing the role of every official related to her appointment.

As per the records, Kishori Lal had given the legal opinion wherein he had justified Malik’s appointment in the Chandigarh Market Committee. He had given his opinion after a former Joint Secretary, Marketing Board, objected to Malik’s appointment in the Market Committee.

Thereafter, in his capacity as the Secretary of the Marketing Board, the former DC transferred his then PA Poonam Malik as a senior assistant in the marketing board on January 15. A week later, on January 23, she was given the charge of the Secretary, Chandigarh Market Committee, which has its office at the Sector 26 Grain Market.

In one of the complaints, it was stated that Poonam Malik did not even have a week’s experience as a senior assistant in the board. Several experienced assistants were ignored while giving her the charge of Secretary, Market Committee, stated the complaint.

The complaint further stated that Malik’s appointment as the Secretary of the Market Committee was wrong because according to the Class II Service Rules, only those assistants/senior assistants (working in the marketing board) could be made the Secretary, who had a minimum working experience of 12 years.

Controversial legal opinion

The legal opinion read, “The query raised by the Joint Secretary, Marketing Board, will not be in the correct perspective. Moreover, legally there will not be any bar as under such arrangements, the consent of the Lending and the Borrowing Department will prevail. The board and the society are legal entities of the Chandigarh Administration and an employee can be taken on transfer basis from any government agency.”

“As the proposal has already been approved by the Secretary (Agriculture), the office may proceed further to appoint the sole applicant for the post of senior assistant,” the report further read.