Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 29: State Accountability Commission comprising Justice Y P Nargotra (Chairperson) and Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain (Member) today initiated regular inquiry against former Roads and Building Minister and sitting Congress MLA from Inderwal, G M Saroori
The inquiry has been initiated against G M Saroori in a formal complaint filed by Saquib Mushtaq, son of Mushtaq Ahmed Shora of Qamarwari, Srinagar wherein various allegations of corruption and misuse of official position have been leveled against him.
The allegations against sitting Congress MLA are that while holding the portfolio of R&B Ministry he misused his official position and is guilty of the corruption, favoritism and nepotism. It has been alleged in the complaint that during the period the respondent was holding the PWD portfolio about 2000 works were allotted by R&B Department without tenders and that the same being not in accordance with law have caused huge loss to the state exchequer.
In support of these allegations the complainant even placed on record press cuttings, copies of communications received from and the information supplied by Executive Engineers of Anantnag, Ganderbal Bandipora, Pulwama, Chadoora, Srinagar, Uri, Baramulla, Kupwara, Sopore and Handawara.
However, in response to the notice issued to him by the Accountability Commission, G M Saroori denied all the allegations and submitted on November 26, 2012 that being a public representative he tried his best to follow the rules and at no point of time misused his official position and that everything has been done by him in a transparent manner without any favoritism and nepotism. He also stated that the allegations leveled against him were without any basis and have been filed with a malafide intention.
After going through the complaint supported by some documentary evidence and the reply of G M Saroori to the notice, SAC observed, “it appears that the works have been allotted and got executed by the concerned Executive Engineers without proper tenders and without following due procedure. The works contained in the list supplied goes to thousands”, adding “the Executive Engineers concerned are answerable in law for allotment of these works without inviting tenders”.
“Though respondent has denied his role in these allotments yet we are inclined to absolve him of his in-action into the matter in view of the fact that being the Minister-in-charge he was bound to keep vigil and control on the working of the department”, the SAC said, adding “going by number of contracts allotted without inviting tenders, it prima-facie appears that getting the works executed without inviting tenders was norm at that time and to which the respondent was a mute spectator”.
“The inaction on the part of respondent falls within Sub-Section (2) of Section 2 of J&K Accountability Act, which is cognizable in terms of Section 9 of the Act”, the SAC observed, adding “we, therefore find sufficient ground to direct a regular inquiry against the respondent”.
With these observations, the SAC ordered regular inquiry against G M Saroori and issued notices to the complainant for information and to the respondent for his reply within six weeks. The SAC has listed the case for further hearing on July 8, 2013.
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