J&K govt removes corporator on corruption charges
Inquiry prima facie establishes she abused her official position
Mubashir Alam
Srinagar, Sep 26 (KNO): The Jammu & Kashmir government has removed a councilor after she was caught red- handed while demanding and accepting bribe.
Jyoti Yadav, a councillor representing ward no. 53 of Jammu Municipal Corporation, has been removed by the Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) under the Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act for flagrantly abusing her position as corporator.
In an order, a copy of which is in possession of news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Prashant Goyal, Principal Secretary,H&UDD, has ordered removal of Jyoti Yadav as corporator for abusing her official position.
Jyoti was affiliated with BJP but was expelled by the party after she was caught by sleuths of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of Rs 10000.
The government action came after an inquiry officer found that the corporator has prima facie flagrantly abused her official position and recommended that she is liable for action her section 34(1)(b) of the Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act-2000.
In her defence, the corporator had denied the facts and resisted applicability of section 8 and section 34 of Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act-2000, asserting therein that no action can be taken against her under the said provisions of the law.
However, the government, in the order, states that conduct of the councillor squarely falls within the ambit of section 34(1)(b).
The provision empowers the government to remove a councilor, if in its opinion, he has flagrantly abused his position or has through negligence or misconduct been responsible for loss or misapplication of any money or property of the corporation.
This is the second time after the 2018 urban local body polls that the government has removed an elected representative on charges of corruption.
Earlier, it had removed the president of municipal committee Awantipora on similar charges—(KNO)
