23 senior officers, faculty removed from posts in ‘spree of transfer orders’

Srinagar: Days before the incumbent Vice Chancellor’s superannuation, the administration of Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has gone on a spree of transferring officers and delegating administrative and financial powers, merely “to settle personal scores” with protesting employees, sources told Kashmir Reader.
The VC of the valley’s premiere agricultural university is superannuating on October 22. The J&K government has constituted a selection committee to choose a panel of candidates for the post. The applications for the post were invited by the government in June this year.
While the appointment of a new VC is awaited, the incumbent VC has issued at least four transfer orders between October 10 and 15 to transfer at least 23 senior officers including assistant professors, junior scientists, senior scientists, heads of departments, and professors-cum-chief scientists.
The latest transfer orders, issued barely a week from the superannuation of the VC, have been issued “merely to settle personal scores” with officers who were at the forefront of the symbolic protest against the varsity administration earlier this year, SKUAST-K insiders told Kashmir Reader.
They said that the SKUAST Scientists and Teachers Association (SSTA) had been consistently demanding redress to their grievances including career advancement scheme, and ‘one man one post’ system.
Instead of accepting these demands, the administration started a “witch hunt” against the protesting staffers, which the latest transfer orders clearly indicate, the sources said.
They said the transfer orders had been issued on the basis of “favouritism”, with staffers who were at the forefront of the symbolic protest being sidelined and their administrative and financial powers transferred to others.
While upgrading posts in the transfer orders, the SKUAST-K administration had posted “senior officers on lower posts”, varsity insiders alleged.
“It is tragic and no one is even taking note of it,” an insider remarked.
An aggrieved officer at the varsity said that while they were duty-bound to abide by the transfer orders, but added that they will continue fighting for their “just cause”.
Vice Chancellor Dr Nazir could not be contacted for his comments.

Reader correspondent