Desist from polygamy, admn tells govt employees

Dinesh Manhotra

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Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 10

As polygamy is being seen among male employees in J&K, the higher-ups in the administration have issued a strict warning to government servants against violating service rules by indulging in extramarital affairs.

The emerging trend of marrying for the second time has become a headache for many heads of departments because legal wives of such men usually knock their doors to get justice.

To address the issue, Chief Engineer, PHE department, Kashmir, Abdul Wahid has issued a circular in which employees have been warned against solemnising a second marriage without taking permission from the first wife.

“On and off, women are seen in the office with their children pleading that their husbands are employees of the department who have abandoned them and have married for the second time, leaving them in the lurch. They are virtually rendered destitute,” the circular stated.

It is clearly mentioned in the circular that the matter had been taken very seriously by the higher-ups and directions have been issued to the staff to adhere to the service rules wherein it is envisaged that no government employee, having a living wife, can contract a second marriage without the permission from the government.

“All subordinate officials are hereby impressed upon to look into the matter and issue directions for strict adherence to service conduct rules in letter and spirit and issue directions to their staff to desist from such practices without seeking permission from the government,” it stated.

Despite being a Muslim-majority state, government employeesare not allowed to solemnise a second marriage without permission from the department as well as from the first wife. Even women employees are not allowed to marry any person who has a wife without taking permission from the government.

What rules say... 

Section 22 of the J&K Service Rules clearly mentions: “No government employee who has a wife living shall contract another marriage without first obtaining the permission of the government, notwithstanding that such subsequent marriage is permissible under the personal law for the time being applicable to him”. The employee has to produce consent of his first wife for seeking permission from the government for the second marriage.