Ashok Kumar Parmar, an IAS officer hailing from the Dalit community, has lodged allegations against Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha and Chief Secretary Arun Mehta, asserting that he faced “harassment and humiliation” after raising concerns about lapses in the execution of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
In a formal complaint forwarded to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), Parmar, a 1992 AGMUT cadre officer, has accused Sinha and Mehta of subjecting him to “harassment, humiliation, intimidation, atrocious behavior, and frequent transfers” due to his Dalit background, following his whistle-blowing activities that exposed irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
The Jal Jeevan Mission, an initiative of the Union government, aims to ensure access to tap water for every rural household by 2024.
During his tenure as principal secretary of the Jal Shakti Department in J&K in May 2022, Parmar claims to have communicated concerns to the LG, chief secretary, and other relevant authorities about the subpar progress of the Jal Jeevan Mission. He alleged that the mission was being executed without a comprehensive SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis.
Parmar further stated that the mission’s advancement was hindered by flawed procedural allotment of works and misinterpretation of a clause from the Manual of Procurement of Works, 2019, which restricted contractors to being awarded only two works at a time.
According to report by The Statesman, Parmar contends that LG Sinha, on June 6, 2022, expelled him from a meeting with the intent to “harass and humiliate him without any fault,” in front of administrative secretaries from J&K. Similarly, Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta allegedly subjected Parmar to humiliation by expelling him from a Committee of Secretaries meeting on July 25, 2023, without just cause. Parmar claimed that he was subjected to numerous transfers, which he asserts violate the government of India’s transfer policy.
Parmar’s complaint to the NCSC asserts that these actions were taken deliberately due to prejudice and bias against him as a member of the Scheduled Caste, and were a direct repercussion of his exposing irregularities within the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Expressing concerns about his reputation and career, Parmar has conveyed his apprehension that LG Sinha and Chief Secretary Mehta might resort to unjust means, including implicating him in false cases. Parmar’s allegations, as reported by The Statesman, indicate that he highlighted financial irregularities and misconduct in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission by Chief Secretary Mehta, Advisor to LG RR Bhatnagar, and others.
Parmar has additionally informed the Prime Minister’s Office, the Union home ministry, and the Ministry of Jal Shakti about alleged misinformation provided by J&K officers regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission’s implementation progress.
The Chenab Times News Desk