Avinash Azad
In a significant development, the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case to probe alleged irregularities in the recruitment process for Fireman and Fireman Driver posts in the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Department. The action follows a detailed inquiry committee report submitted to the General Administration Department (GAD) and a subsequent directive to the ACB for a criminal investigation.
The controversy dates back to 2013, when an advertisement was issued for various posts, including Firemen and Drivers, under Advertisement Notice No. 01 of 2013. The initial recruitment process was marred by discrepancies, leading to its cancellation in 2016 via Government Order No. 381-Home.
The process was revived in 2018 under the directive of the J&K High Court, with instructions to engage a Transparent Recruitment Process (TRP) agency through an open bidding system. Hyderabad-based M/s Timing Technologies India Pvt. Ltd was selected but was replaced in 2019 following allegations of irregularities, including mass copying during the written examination.
A fresh tendering process in 2020 saw six TRP agencies vying for the contract. M/s UMC Technology Pvt. Ltd Kolkata emerged as the lowest bidder (L-1) at a quoted rate of ₹107.50 per candidate. However, the work was controversially awarded to the second-lowest bidder (L-2), M/s LMES IT LLP Jammu, at a higher rate of ₹179 per candidate, bypassing L-1 without justification.
The investigation has unearthed numerous irregularities, including:
Favoritism in Awarding the Contract
– The contract was awarded to L-2, a newly established firm with no proven experience, in violation of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines, which mandate negotiations exclusively with L-1 bidders or re-tendering if L-1 backs out.
– The main partner of L-2, Maharaj Krishan Wali, had previously been associated with the discredited L-1 agency of the earlier process, M/s Timing Technologies.
Manipulation of the Selection Process
– Question papers were reportedly beyond the comprehension of candidates qualified up to the 8th standard, the minimum educational requirement.
– A manual review of answer sheets revealed glaring discrepancies. Candidates scoring as low as 11, 17, and 24 marks were shown as securing 90 marks in the final list.
– Multiple instances of nepotism, including the selection of relatives of department officials and five real brothers from Budgam district, were identified.
Fake and Fabricated Records
A total of 109 candidates who scored below the cutoff marks were fraudulently shown as qualified in the final selection list.
Legal Action and Offences
The ACB has registered FIR No. 01/2025 under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (amended in 2018) and sections 120-B, 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIR implicates members of the Departmental Recruitment Board (DRB), Technical Committee, officers of the F&ES Department, L-2 bidder M/s LMES IT LLP, and other beneficiaries.
Protests by Aspirants
Even before the registration of the case, aspirants had raised concerns over the alleged malpractices, staging protests and demanding transparency. Smelling irregularities in the process, they called for a thorough investigation, citing the glaring anomalies in the selection list.
The Way Forward
The ACB has assured a comprehensive investigation into the matter. With significant evidence pointing to large-scale manipulation and favoritism, this case is poised to test the administration’s commitment to transparency and justice.
For the hundreds of aspirants affected by these irregularities, the ACB’s intervention brings hope for accountability and the possibility of rectifying the injustices committed. The investigation continues.
