Dr Andrabi also orders additional designation of all employees at Shrines as “Khaadim-e-Ziyarat”. In a significant development, J&K Waqf Board, headed by Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, has merged the designations of all functionally illiterate employees & redesignated them as Multi Purpose Staff(MPS), & their services shall henceforth be utilised for any assignment that doesn’t require any technical or professional qualification. The order issued in this regard mentions that the designations, like, Orderlies, Chowkidars, Bus Conductors, Malies, Tehveeldars, etc., have been given to such employees randomly over the years & their services have been strictly utilised as per their designations. No fresh recruitments have been made either since the implementation of Central Waqf Act, & verification of qualification certificates of employees has revealed that several among them have been engaged in the past on fake certificates. All such issues have created deficiency of Sweepers & Peons, particularly at the Shrines. The move, as part of rationalisation of Waqf Staff, is expected to help overcome such deficiencies. Also, in another significant move, Dr Andrabi has ordered that all employees posted at Shrines, from Administrator to the lowest levels, shall be additionally designated as “Khadim-e-Ziyarat”. All employees have been directed to carry an Identity Card as well all the time in this regard.
