*Prosecution sanction of accused officers to be sought shortly
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 15: In a major development into the infamous and biggest ever land scam of Jammu and Kashmir, the State Vigilance Organization (SVO) has completed investigation into five cases and indicted over two dozen officials including serving IAS officer and three former Deputy Commissioners. The Vigilance has established that these officers had blatantly misused the provisions of Roshni Scheme to confer undue benefits upon non-deserving people for pecuniary benefits.
All these cases have been processed for obtaining prosecution sanction from the competent authority against in-service accused public servants and submitted to the State Vigilance Commission under Rule 24(1) of the J&K SVC Rules 2013 for further course of action. This significant development, which took place only after State High Court reprimanded the Vigilance Organization, has substantiated the findings of the Principal Accountant General (Audit), J&K that various irregularities were committed in transfer of land under Roshni Scheme, which resulted into consequent huge loss to the State exchequer.
This scheme was meant to raise nearly Rs 25,448 crore to finance power projects by selling over 20.64 lakh kanals of State land under unauthorized occupation but due to blatant misuse of its provisions, the State Government could only realize Rs 76 crore.
These five FIRs were registered under Sections 5(1)(d) 5(2) of Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act read with Section 17 of J&K State Land (Vesting of Ownership to Occupants) Act, 2001 and Section 120-B RPC earlier this year. However, investigation remained at snail’s pace despite repeated directions from the State High Court, which finally on November 14, 2014 fixed December 17 deadline for the SVO to complete probe into these cases.
“For the investigation of these five cases, voluminous revenue record was to be seized and then scrutinized with the help of revenue experts”, a spokesman of the SVO said, adding “the Special Investigation Teams worked on war footing and concluded the investigations as proved despite various hindrances like non-availability of sufficient revenue experts with Vigilance Organization and non cooperation of the Revenue Department”.
As far as FIR No.15 registered at Police Station Vigilance Organization Jammu is concerned, it has been established that one Bashir Ahmad, son of Hoshar Din of Katal Batal was given ownership rights of the non-agricultural land under the purview of the agricultural land in blatant violation of Roshni Act. In this case, involvement of IAS officer Hirdesh Kumar, the then District Collector Jammu, one Tehsildar, one Girdawar, two Naib Tehsildars and one Patwari has been established.
In FIR No.16 also registered at Police Station Vigilance Organization Jammu on May 29, 2014, it has been established that the then District Collector Udhampur, O P Kalendria in connivance with some other officers and officials of the Revenue Department conferred undue benefit upon non-State subjects.
“By throwing into the winds the provisions of Roshni Scheme, the accused officials granted ownership rights in favour of Chanchal Dass, son of Basti Ram, Jyoti Parkash, son of Mast Ram and Shadi Lal, son of Chandu, who were originally the residents of district Jodhpur of Rajasthan and putting up in village Suitan of Udhampur district”, sources said. Besides the then District Collector, the then Additional Deputy Commissioner, one Tehsildar, Naib-Tehsildar and Patwari have been found involved in this case.
In FIR No.17 registered at Police Station Vigilance Organization Kashmir, it has been established that the then Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Eijaz Iqbal in connivance with other officers of the Revenue Department posted in the district conferred undue benefit upon certain people by arbitrarily fixing the price of land lower than the prevailing market rate of the area thereby putting State exchequer to huge loss.
Similar allegations have been proved in FIR Nos.18 and 19 relating to bungling in implementation of Roshni Scheme in Pulwama and Budgam districts. Like in Srinagar district, the concerned authorities too fixed the price of land lower than the prevailing market rate of the area at the cost of State exchequer in these two districts. Besides numerous officers of the Revenue Department, the then Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Farooq Renzu is also an accused in FIR No.19 registered at Police Station Vigilance Organization Kashmir.
According to the sources, Director Vigilance Organization, who had been directed by the Division Bench of State High Court to ensure completion of investigation before December 17, today submitted status report in the Registry of the High Court.
In response to a question, sources said, “since Principal Accountant General had forwarded the copy of audit report to the State Vigilance Commission, the Vigilance Organization has submitted the outcome of all the five FIRs to the Commission for further action”.
On the receipt of communication from the Commission, Vigilance Organization will proceed further in these cases and approach the Government for accord of sanction for prosecution of serving officers. In respect of retired officers, Vigilance Organization doesn’t require any permission and it can directly submit challan in the court of law.
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