Caught In A Row Over Eligibility Dy Director HP&M Comes Under Clouds Amid Inquiry

Srinagar : The Jammu and Kashmir government has suspended Naheed Jabeen, currently serving as the Deputy Director of Horticulture Planning and Marketing, due to serious allegations regarding her ineligible appointment as Assistant Grading and Marketing Officer (AGMO). This decision was formalized under Government Order No. 486-JK (APD) of 2024 and is a response to growing concerns about her qualifications for the role.
Sources told Kashmir Horizon Jabeen, who was Deputy Director in the Department of Horticulture Planning and Marketing, has allegedly been holding the position illegally for the past 23 years.
The controversy surrounds her appointment as Assistant Grading and Marketing Officer, a post she reportedly secured despite lacking the prescribed educational qualifications.
Sources said that Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) had issued Advertisement Notification No 4-PSC of 1997 on March 23, 1997, inviting applications for ten positions of Assistant Grading and Marketing Officers in the Agriculture Production Department.
“The specified educational qualifications included a Bachelor’s Degree with Economics as a subject and a Diploma in Agriculture Marketing, Commerce Graduate with Diploma in Agriculture Marketing, or BSc in Agriculture with Diploma in Agriculture Marketing/Marketing Management,” he said but nothing was followed.
Naheed Jabeen, possessing only a BSc qualification, applied for the position. The JKPSC conducted interviews on April 3rd and 4th, 2000, in Jammu, and she was subsequently selected at Serial No 03 in the Open Merit Category without meeting the specified criteria.
After the issuance of the selection list on April 25, 2000, she produced a Diploma in Marketing Management, which was not the prescribed technical qualification for a candidate with a Graduation in Economics and Commerce.
Despite the irregularities in her appointment, the Agriculture Production Department appointed Naheed Jabeen along with four other candidates on November 17, 2000, with a condition in the appointment order that their appointments were subject to the verification of academic and technical qualifications.
Shockingly, the qualifications of Naheed Jabeen have not been checked or verified by any authority to date. The matter came to light when another candidate, Arvind Kumar Kotwal, filed a writ petition in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, seeking a directive for his appointment. The court, acknowledging the irregularities, ruled that the petitioner, being ineligible, could not compel the appointing authority to issue an appointment order.
The judgment highlighted the presence of three other ineligible candidates, including Naheed Jabeen, who had been appointed without meeting the prescribed qualifications.
Despite the court’s observations, Naheed Jabeen has been holding various positions, including Assistant Grading and Marketing Officer, Area Marketing Officer, and currently Deputy Director Kashmir Horticulture (P&M), for the past 23 years without possessing the necessary academic and technical qualifications.
“The case underscores the importance of transparency and adherence to established criteria in government appointments, urging swift corrective action to rectify any discrepancies in staffing within the department,” sources told KH.
Recently, Jammu and Kashmir government has suspended Ms. Naheed Jabeen, Deputy Director of Horticulture Planning and Marketing, over allegations concerning her ineligible appointment.
The suspension, issued under Government Order No. 486-JK (APD) of 2024, comes in response to questions about her qualifications for the position of Assistant Grading and Marketing Officer (AGMO).
Pending the inquiry, Ms. Jabeen will remain attached to the Administrative Department at the Civil Secretariat. The inquiry will be conducted by Vikas Sharma, Director Horticulture (Planning & Marketing), who has been tasked with submitting a report, including specific recommendations, within one month. The government has also appointed Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din, Under Secretary to the Government, as the presenting officer for the case. The suspension order was issued by Principal Secretary to the Government, Shailendra Kumar.