Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Oct 16
The General Administration Department on Friday directed government employees to maintain professional conduct and mutual respect after allegations that a senior IAS officer verbally abused a junior woman colleague triggered protests within the administrative services.
The circular, issued by Commissioner Secretary M Raju, reminded officials of their obligations under the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1971, and called for discipline, courtesy and restraint in official interactions.
“Seniority and supervisory authority shall be exercised with responsibility and fairness,” the circular said, warning against derogatory or threatening language and conduct inconsistent with the dignity of public office.
The instructions apply to interactions between senior and junior officers, officials of different ranks and government employees dealing with the public. Administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners and heads of departments have been asked to ensure compliance.
The directive followed a controversy over a video purportedly showing Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, administrative secretary of the Labour and Employment Department, berating Beenish Wani, an officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service, during a virtual review meeting on October 14.
JKAS officers condemned what they described as verbal abuse, personal insults and public humiliation of their colleague.
They called for an impartial inquiry into the incident and the department’s subsequent response, as well as safeguards against retaliation.
The officers partially observed a pen-down strike on Friday in solidarity with Wani, saying they had limited the protest to avoid disrupting public services.
Several officers gathered at Bahu Plaza in Jammu, while protests were also reported in Kashmir.
The demonstrations were not pursued further after the government announced an inquiry.
Wani, an Assistant Director of Employment in Ganderbal, had joined the virtual meeting despite being on leave following a fracture, according to the JKAS officers’ statement.
The Labour and Employment Department had issued a clarification late on Thursday, expressing concern over what it called the circulation of selectively edited video clips without the full context of the proceedings.
The department said the meeting, held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on October 14, reviewed performance across all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It said the complete recording was available with the National Informatics Centre.
According to the department, the meeting focused on expectations for the Mission Yuva programme and the need for district officials to ensure its effective implementation and timely delivery of benefits to eligible young people.
The department also said inappropriate language had no place in professional administrative engagements and expressed regret over the developments surrounding the meeting.
It described the circulating clips as unverified and warned that selective editing could create a misleading impression of the proceedings. It said the matter would be taken to its logical conclusion under applicable rules.
The controversy prompted demands from political leaders for action against Ranjan and an independent examination of the allegations.
The government on Friday appointed Mandeep Kaur, commissioner secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, as inquiry officer and directed her to submit a report within 15 days.
The National Commission for Women has separately sought an impartial inquiry and an action-taken report within seven days.
The allegations against the senior officer have yet to be established.
