21 govt employees suspended, 5 workers disengaged for poll campaigning in J&K

Jammu, Sep 23 (PTI) As many as 21 government employees were suspended and five ad-hoc and casual labourers were disengaged from service for taking part in election campaigning in Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Monday.

The action against the erring employees and workers was taken to ensure transparency in the ongoing assembly elections in the Union Territory, a spokesperson of the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said.

“Acting swiftly on detailed ground inquiry reports, 21 employees found involved in political campaigning have been placed under suspension while five ad-hoc employees including casual labourers and others against whom the charges of involvement in political campaigning were proved have been disengaged”, the spokesperson said.

The official said 20 employees have been shifted out of the offices where they were posted and attached to other offices to ensure that they do not indulge in such behaviour which raises suspicion of their involvement in campaigning or favouring any particular party or candidate.

The CEO’s office said notices have been issued to 15 employees against whom the complaints of involvement in campaigning have been received and their cases are under investigation.

Besides, about 51 complaints have been closed as the detailed inquiry proved that they were not involved in political campaigning, the spokesperson said.