Cash-for-Transfer Row Explodes in J&K: 5 Orders Issued to Post Just One Dental Surgeon

Srinagar: Officials of the Jammu and Kashmir Health Department have come under public scrutiny after issuing five separate orders within two weeks for the posting of a single dental surgeon. The repeated transfers, at a time when PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had alleged a cash-for-transfer racket, have raised questions over whether the repeated reshuffling was due to administrative confusion, favouritism or punitive postings.The controversy revolves around Dr Osmina Shafi, a dental surgeon who was transferred to Block Sopore through an order issued by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Baramulla, on April 29, 2026.After reporting to the office of the Block Medical Officer (BMO), Sopore, on May 4, Dr. Osmina Shafi was directed the very next day to join

PHC Ladoora. The same order also transferred Dr. Shabir Ahmad, Dental Surgeon at PHC Ladoora, to Boniyar.However, within 48 hours, the Health Department partially modified the order. On May 7, Dr. Osmina Shafi was redirected to PHC Duroo instead of Ladoora, while Dr. Mohammad Sajid Khuroo, Dental Surgeon at PHC Duroo, was shifted to Boniyar.Official documents accessed by TNN indicate that multiple modifications and fresh orders continued during the period, ultimately requiring intervention at the top level.The rapid reshuffling reportedly disrupted the functioning of at least four Primary Health Centres (PHCs), with doctors being displaced before any continuity in patient care could be established.Sources within the department said the repeated reversals created confusion among staff and raised concerns about the transparency and rationale behind the transfers.Despite the unusual sequence of events, no official explanation has been issued by the department, nor has any inquiry been ordered.Earlier this month , while addressing a gathering, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti alleged: “An officer went to a minister seeking his transfer. The minister demanded ₹30 lakh from him. The officer went to meet Farooq Abdullah and narrated how the minister had demanded money from him, but he was told to speak to the minister as he was their treasurer.”The ruling Jammu & Kashmir National Conference denied the allegations and challenged Mehbooba Mufti to either name the minister or file a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau.