J&K L-G sacks two government employees, including teacher, for alleged anti-national activities

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday sacked two government employees, including a teacher, for allegedly engaging in anti-national activities by invoking Article 311 of the Constitution of India. The sacked employees have been identified as Khurshid Ahmad Rather, a teacher in the School Education Department and a resident of Karnah, Kupwara, and Siyad Ahmad Khan, an assistant stockman in the Sheep Husbandry Department and a resident of Keran, Kupwara. In similarly worded dismissal orders, it was stated that the Lieutenant Governor was satisfied, after considering the facts and circumstances of each case, that the activities of the two employees were such as to warrant their dismissal from service. The order stated that the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied under sub-clause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India that, in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold an inquiry in both cases. Accordingly, the Lieutenant Governor has dismissed both government employees from service with immediate effect. The dismissal of the government employees has come despite the elected government led by Omar Abdullah opposing the sacking of the employees. The Lieutenant Governor has so far sacked over 80 government employees in Jammu and Kashmir for their alleged anti-national activities by invoking Article 311 of the Constitution of India. Under the proviso (c) of Article 311(2), the government is empowered to terminate an employee without recourse to the normal procedure if it is satisfied that his or her retention in public service is prejudicial to the security of the state. After the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir state into two Union Territories by the Centre on August 5, 2019, the J&K administration has gone tough against its employees in the Union Territory.