Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 16: In a major decision, Legislative Council Chairman, Amrit Malhotra today constituted two House Committees to look into alleged bungling and embezzlement worth crores of rupees in JAKFED from 1987 onwards and restoration of State’s properties outside the State.
Mr Malhotra would himself act as Chairman of the House Committee on restoration of State properties, which would have five members. National Conference leader and former Minister Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardhy would be Chairman of the House Committee on alleged embezzlement of funds in JAKFED.
Mr Malhotra has also nominated five members of the Upper House to Consultative Committee for Tourism Department (CCTD) to suggest measures for preservation and proper utilisation of the properties of Dherender Brahamchari Ashram at various places in and outside the State including Mantalai.
The two House Committees would submit their report to the Legislative Council during next session of the Legislature.
Mr Malhotra told the Excelsior that there had been uproar in the Legislative Council on a couple of occasions on alleged embezzlement and bungling of public money running into crores of rupees in JAKFED since 1987. He said the State Vigilance Organisation had also registered a FIR No. 3 in 1995 in the irregularities.
“I have examined the demand and keeping in view the seriousness of the matter and sense of the House, I have come to a conclusion that demand of the members for setting up the House Committee is genuine,” Mr Malhotra said.
NC leader and former Minister Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardhy would be Chairman of the House Committee. The members of the Committee included Naresh Kumar Gupta, Ravinder Kumar Sharma and Muzaffar Ahmad Parray (all Congress), Mohammad Ashraf Mir (PDP), Ali Mohammad Dar (NC) and Mohammad Rafiq Shah (Nationalist Panthers Party).
The House Committee would look into all aspects of the bungling and embezzlement of funds in JAKFED since 1987 and submit its report in the next session of the Legislature.
The Chairman has also constituted another House Committee on restoration of State properties at New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Sirsa (Haryana), Amritsar and other Indian States.
The issue had cropped up in the Council during just concluded budget session of the Legislature and a demand was raised by various members for restoration of the properties and examine the efforts being made by the Government in this connection.
Mr Malhotra would himself by ex-officio Chairman of the Committee, which would have five members including Ajat Shatru Singh, Showkat Ahmad Ganai and Dr Shehnaz Ganai (all National Conference), Jehangir Hussain Mir and Ghulam Nabi Monga (both Congress).
The Committee would also submit its report in next session of the Legislature.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Department has broad-based Consultative Committee for Tourism Department by inducting five members of the Upper House in it on the recommendations of the Council Chairman.
The members nominated to the Consultative Committee included Ravinder Kumar Sharma, Jugal Kishore Sharma and Dr Rani Blowria (all Congress), Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri (NC) and Nayeem Akhter (PDP).
Mr Malhotra said a demand had been raised in the Legislative Council during budget session to constitute a House Committee to examine and suggest measures for preservation and proper utilisation of the properties of Dherender Brahamchari Ashram situation at various places in an outside the State including Mantalai.
However, he added, Tourism Minister GA Mir had suggested that instead of a House Committee, the matter should be examined by Consultative Committee for Tourism Department by adding the members of the Upper House into it.
The Tourism Department has broad-based the Consultative Committee by adding five members of the Upper House in it for the specific purpose of looking into the properties of Dherender Brahamchari.
The Committee would also submit its report to the Legislative Council in the next session of the Legislature.
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