JK floods: BDO among 3 officials issued show cause notice for unauthorized absence

Jammu: Three officials in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, including a block development officer and an assistant executive engineer, have been issued show-cause notices for being absent from duty contrary to government directions.

The General Administration Department (GAD) on August 27 explicitly said that no leave shall be sanctioned to any officer or employee due to inclement weather and incessant rains in the region.

Additional District Development Commissioner of Reasi, Sukhdev Singh Samyal, issued show-cause notices to the block development officer of Chassana, Mahore, Gulabgarh, an assistant executive engineer of the PWD, Mahore, and a senior assistant of the department.

"You are hereby directed to submit a written explanation within two days from the date of receipt of this notice, through the assistant commissioner development, Reasi, SDM Mahore, clarifying the reasons for your unauthorised absence from headquarters.

"You are further required to show cause why disciplinary action should not be initiated against you for this lapse," the order said.

It added that the deputy commissioner of Reasi, on August 29, reiterated the General Administration Department's direction to employees not to leave their headquarters without approval.

However, the officials had left their headquarters without obtaining permission from the sub-divisional magistrate of Mahore or any competent authority, constituting a violation of the directives, the notice stated.

The additional district development commissioner noted that the entire district remains under severe risk of landslides and cloudbursts, with seven deaths already reported from Gulabgarh due to incessant rains.