Jammu, April 8 – Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday dismissed the services of two government employees for alleged links with terror groups.
The dismissed employees are Farhat Ali Khanday, a Class IV employee in the Education Department, accused of working for Hizbul Mujahideen, and Mohammad Shafi Dar, a Class IV staffer in the Rural Development Department, alleged to be associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Officials said the action was taken following inputs indicating their involvement in activities prejudicial to the security of the state.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration, under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has been actively dismissing government employees with alleged terror links, often utilising Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution.
This provision allows for dismissal without a formal inquiry if the employee's retention is deemed prejudicial to national security.
Article 311(2)(c) allows the President, Governor, or Lieutenant Governor to terminate employees without inquiry if they are satisfied that a formal investigation is against the security of the state.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has adopted a strict policy to eliminate "terror associates" or "terrorists embedded in the government machinery." Individuals dismissed include government teachers, laboratory technicians, forest department staff, and, more recently, Class-IV employees in education and rural development, often with connections to outfits like Hizb-ul-Mujahideen or Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Instead of traditional inquiries, these actions are usually based on evidence provided by security and intelligence agencies confirming engagement in unlawful or anti-national activities.
The administration has reiterated that this is an ongoing effort to secure state institutions from internal subversion.
A committee headed by the chief secretary recommends the termination of government employees acting against the state. The recommendations of the committee are based on ground reports and intelligence gathered by the J&K CID department against the employees working for terror outfits while drawing salaries from the government.
In January, in a major crackdown on the terror ecosystem, the L-G dismissed the services of five government employees, allegedly for their established terror links. They were identified as Mohd Ishfaq (teacher), Tariq Ahmad Rah (lab technician), Bashir Ahmad Mir (Assistant Lineman), Farooq Ahmad Bhat (Field Worker, Forest Dept), and Mohd Yousuf (Driver, Health and Medical Education Department).