SRINAGAR; 13, May 2013: Holding that prima facie case is made out against him for illegal appointments in Urban Local Bodies during his ministry tenure, the State Accountability Commission on Monday ordered a regular inquiry against Congress’s Tara Chand, the incumbent Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Education.

The anti-corruption watchdog also issued notice to him for filing his statement of defence within six weeks for making the alleged illegal appointments in the department.

The directions were issued by a bench of Justice Y P Nargotra (chairperson) and Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain (member) of the SAC on a complaint filed by one Saquib Mushtaq of Qamarwari here.

In his compliant supported by Xerox copies of various illegal orders, Saquib has levelled allegations of corruption, misuse of official position, favouritism and nepotism against Tara Chand while he was holding responsibilities of Urban Local Bodies ministry prior to the January 15 reshuffle of minister by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Subsequent to the filing of the compliant, the Commission had issued notice to Chand and he had filed the response wherein he denied the allegations.

Tara Chand is learnt to have stated that as then Minister for Urban and Local Bodies Department, when the case regarding illegal appointments came to his notice, he constituted two separate enquiries for Kashmir and Jammu provinces.

However, after going through the compliant and the response, the Commission found that appointing authority has specifically stated in orders that the appointments were made at the instance of Tara Chand.

“The respondent (Tara Chand) has not denied the fact that he passed on any such instructions to the appointing authority,” the bench said, adding, “There may be other appointments also made without the knowledge of (Tara Chand) for he has initiated inquiry.”

The Commission, however, said that directing the inquiry will not absolve him from the allegations.
“The illegal appointments have been made in the Urban Local Bodies as alleged in the compliant and (Tara Chand) have not denied which prima facie shows that these engagements have been made in gross violation of the rules.”    

While directing regular inquiry against Chand, the SAC also asked Advocate General to assist the Commission in the prosecution of the case.