Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 3: Unbelievable it may sound but it is a fact that a Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) hostel constructed about four years back at a cost of Rs 30 lakh in Nyoma Sub-Division of the Leh district and remained unused till date, has now been found completely unsafe for any use. In order to ensure that those, who were behind blatant misuse of official position and involved in the embezzlement of the public money do not go scot free, the Deputy Commissioner Leh has approached the State Vigilance Commission and Chief Secretary for criminal and departmental action.
According to the highly placed sources in the Civil Secretariat, the blatant misuse of powers by the officials of the Directorate of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) came to the fore during the visit of Deputy Commissioner Leh, Simrandeep Singh to Nyoma Sub-Division in the month of May this year.
On the complaint of the people, the Deputy Commissioner personally inspected the KGBV hostel building and found that inferior quality material was used in its construction as the building had developed many cracks.
Accordingly, the Deputy Commissioner got preliminary enquiry conducted through the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Nyoma during which the blatant misuse of powers by the officials of the Directorate of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was established.
The preliminary enquiry revealed that as per the guidelines for construction of KGBV, the work on hostel at Nyoma was executed departmentally by the Directorate of SSA through the Executive Engineer, North SSA Division Kashmir, sources said.
Though the construction was completed in the year 2009 yet handing over-taking over of the hostel never took place during the past four years as the then Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) didn’t find the building complete in all respects, which was not accepted by the Executive Engineer, North SSA Division Kashmir, sources added.
In the month of December 2011, the Chief Executive Councilor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh wrote to the then Commissioner Secretary, School Education Department, Naseema Lankar seeking directions to the SSA authorities to hand over the KGBV hostel to the Education Department in Leh but there was no action as a result of which the building constructed at a cost of Rs 30 lakh remained unused, sources informed.
As the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s report indicated that building has developed numerous cracks and some of its portion does not have doors and electric fitting, the Deputy Commissioner sought a report from the Public Works Department (PWD) Sub-Division Nyoma regarding the current safety status of the building, sources informed. The Executive Engineer PWD Nyoma has mentioned in the report that building of KGBV hostel is unsafe for use as hostel or for any other purpose, sources added.
“As an amount Rs 30 lakh has virtually gone down the drain and hostel with 40 girls and other staff in Nyoma is being run in an another community building that too on rent, the Deputy Commissioner has forwarded the case to the State Vigilance Commission and Chief Secretary for criminal and departmental action against all those behind blatant misuse of official position and likely embezzlement of the public money”, sources said.
In response to a question, sources said, “it is not understandable as to how a building shown as completed four years ago has never been handed over. Due to misuse of official position by the officials of Directorate of SSA the Government has lost its valuable money both in construction as well as in paying the rent for the hired accommodation”, adding “departmental as well as criminal action in this case is imperative to instill confidence among the people in remotest sub-division in the State”.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Simrandeep Singh confirmed that he has written to the Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Kuldeep Khoda and Chief Secretary, Mohd Iqbal Khandey for action in the case. “I have also brought the issue to the notice of Commissioner Secretary, School Education Department and he has assured to take strong action”, he added.
Despite repeated attempts, Commissioner Secretary, School Education Department could not be contacted to ascertain what departmental action would be taken against the erring officials.
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