Srinagar: Tassaduq Jeelani was on Thursday removed from the post of director tourism, after a speech of his delivered at a promotional event became the butt of social media jokes.
Divisional commissioner Baseer Khan will hold tourism director’s charge till further orders and also inquire into the incidents that occurred during the events organised by the department under the “Kashmir Familiarization Tour” from October 25 to October 27, the government ordered.
The official said the inquiry was ordered late because of holidays.
As per reports, the tourism department sidelined codal formalities in awarding the work contract to an event management company for the autumn tour events held at Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg.
However, he said, one of the empanelled companies was made the organiser of the tour without following any process.
“There were three companies, so even if one had to be hired the selection had to be through a tendering process and if the companies were told to wait how come one of the companies was engaged? Even other people were engaged without any proper procedure,” the official said.
Another official, who also requested anonymity, said the company that managed the event did so against the rules.
“Why would Khyber, Pahalgam Club or SKICC hire someone on behalf of the directorate of tourism? He was doing tourism department’s job. His people and machinery were involved,” he said.
Jeelani, however, called all promotional tours as a “grand success”. He told Greater Kashmir that deputing “irrelevant” officials for foreign and domestic promotional tours will not help Kashmir tourism.
“My presence in all promotional tours whether in Mumbai, Russia or Srinagar has provided an impetus to tourism here. I am open to the inquiry ordered by the government,” said Jeelani.
