Retd JU official approaches UT admn in 40-yr-old case

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 6

After erstwhile J&K state bifurcated into two Union Territories (UTs) — J&K and Ladakh — a retired officer of the University of Jammu (JU), Pritam Singh, has again knocked the doors of Raj Bhawan, hoping to get “justice” and “fair deal” from the UT administration in his 40-year-old case.

Pritam Singh, who showed extraordinary bravery without caring for his life while saving official records and property during a fire that broke out in the university in February 1979, alleged that the university had flouted the recommendations of erstwhile J&K Assembly’s “Committee on Petitions” with impunity.

In recognition of his act of bravery, he was conferred the University Gallantry Award, gold medal along with certificate of merit in 1998. He was awarded a gold medal as well as a commendation certificate but the gallantry award and other service benefits had not been given to him till date.

According to the retired officer, he was again forced to approach the UT administration, particularly Lt-Governor of J&K Girish Chandra Murmu, who is the Chancellor of Jammu University, so that justice is delivered to him because the mandate of the Legislative Assembly had been “trampled upon by sheer whimsical manners of functioning with neglectful attitude”.

He alleged that the ‘Committee on Petitions’ while presenting its report in the Assembly on March 29, 2010, had recommended for providing all “service benefits and promotion forthwith by the university in recognition of his display of courage and bravery” by observing general rules and regulations existing in the state government, in case the university had not framed such rules or regulations of its own.

The committee had opined that the retired officer should be considered for service benefits and promotion for his act of bravery while referring to similar instances in other government departments where out of turn promotions and due rewards were bestowed upon the persons who had done such an act of bravery and courage.

It was recommended that in future all such cases should be settled forthwith without making unnecessary delay by the departments and agencies concerned.

The University Council, the apex body vested with all administrative powers, in its meeting on February 22, 1971, had also accorded the approval to the standing practice that the rules and regulations existing in the state government be observed in the university in regard to matters about which the university has not framed any rules of its own”.

“The Jammu University authorities misled the office of Chancellor, the legislative Assembly and the state government. The neglectful approach by Jammu University and its authorities concerned has caused both mental and physical harassment to me,” he alleged.