IAS Officer In Jammu And Kashmir Alleges Discrimination For Being Dalit

Srinagar: 

A senior IAS officer has alleged harassment and intimidation by the Jammu And Kashmir Union Territory administration because of his Dalit caste.

The officer, a principal secretary, who has been transferred five times in the last one year has alleged a conspiracy against him. The Opposition has demanded an impartial probe into the allegations.

Ashok Parmar, a 1992 IAS officer who hails from Gujarat, has filed a complaint before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, alleging harassment, threats and intimidation by the J&K administration after he blew the lid off massive irregularities in the Jal Shakti department.

The officer has also written a letter to the Union Home Secretary alleging the same. He fears that the administration may falsely implicate him.

In the letters, Mr Parmar alleges that he was thrown out of two high-level meetings and humiliated in front of other officers.

Mr Parmar, who was on central deputation, was repatriated to AGMUT cadre in March 2022. Subsequently, he was posted as principal secretary Irrigation and Flood Control.

On May 5,2022, he was transferred and posted as Principal Secretary Jal Shakti department. According to Mr Parmar, after he blew the lid off scams in the department he was transferred within months to department of ARI and trainings.

On July 18, he was transferred to Skill development. In less two weeks, on August 1 he was again transferred and posted as chairman Bureau of Public Enterprises J&K.