Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Elections | Two government employees suspended for dereliction of duty in Udhampur

Jammu: Two government employees were suspended on Monday for alleged dereliction of duty in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, officials said.

Udhampur District Election Officer Saloni Rai took swift disciplinary action against Kulbushan Kumar and Jaswant Singh for neglecting their assigned election duties, an official spokesman said.

Kumar, the head assistant at the Dudu Zonal Education Office who was appointed as a Presiding Officer in the elections, has been suspended for failing to attend mandatory training sessions, the spokesperson added.

Despite multiple telephonic communications and formal intimation through his department head, he neglected to report for duty, obstructing critical election procedures, the spokesperson said.

His absence has been deemed a serious breach of service conduct rules, amounting to deliberate non-compliance, he added.

Jaswant Singh, a government primary schoolteacher at Kothi in Chenani, who was appointed a Booth Level Officer (BLO) for polling station Narsoo, was suspended for failing to perform his election-related duties, the spokesperson said.

Singh was responsible for managing a section of the electoral roll, ensuring its accuracy through door-to-door verification, and assisting voters on election day.

However, Jaswant Singh not only failed to fulfill these responsibilities but also went on unauthorised medical leave without obtaining proper approval, the spokesperson said.

A show-cause notice was issued to Jaswant Singh, but his response was unsatisfactory, prompting his immediate suspension, the spokesperson said.

Singh will remain attached to the office of the Chief Education Officer at Udhampur during his suspension.