Booked for corruption, MD Handicrafts (Sales & Exports) suspended

Jammu, Feb 21: The J&K administration has ordered suspension of the managing director of Handicrafts (Sales & Exports) Corporation, Jasvinder Singh Dua, who was booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) last year.

As per a government order accessed by The Kashmir Monitor, Masrat-ul-Islam, the director of handicrafts, Jammu and Kashmir, will hold the charge of the post of managing director of Handicrafts (Sales & Exports)Corporation in addition to his own duties till further orders.

“Pending enquiry, Jasvinder Singh Dua is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect, in terms of Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956,” the order read, adding that during the period of his suspension, Dua would remain attached with the office of divisional commissioner, Jammu.

On October 10 last year, the ACB registered a case against Dua and two others — former managing director of SICOP A K Khullar and ex-general manager of SICOP B S Dua.

The case was registered on the basis of verification conducted by the ACB into the allegations against B S Dua, which included illegal appointment of his nephew Jasvinder Singh Dua in SICOP.

“During the probe, it transpired that Jasvinder Singh Dua had a sudden rise — within a span of 16 years of his service. He rose to the post of MD SICOP. Jasvinder Singh Dua had initially been appointed in SICOP as Junior Engineer for a period of three months.

“After approximately three months, his service as Junior Engineer was regularized by then MD illegally and under a conspiracy hatched with B S Dua, then GM, SICOP, who happened to be an uncle of the beneficiary. It has also come to the fore that during the period of B S Dua as MD, SICOP, his nephew got three promotions in violation of rules and norms governing the subject,” the ACB had said.