Steps initiated for punishing accused officials, beneficiaries
Successive Govts ignored blatant loot of exchequer
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 1: Several Municipal Committees have come under the scanner of the Governor’s Administration in connection with illegal appointments and other illegalities committed in connivance with the politicians to loot the exchequer but were deliberately ignored by the successive Governments.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that several illegal appointments were made and other illegalities committed in many Municipal Committees of the Kashmir valley from time to time at the behest of the politicians as if these Urban Local Bodies were their personal fiefdom.
However, no action was taken by the successive State Governments as a result of which illegally appointed persons continued to obtain salaries and other benefits thereby putting unnecessary burden on the exchequer. “Even those Government servants who played in the hands of politicians to commit illegalities have remained unpunished till date”, sources informed.
Quoting an example, sources said that during the period between 2009 and 2011, 13 illegal appointments were made in the Municipal Committee Hajin by the then President Haji Imtiyaz Ahmad Parray, the then Executive Officer Abdul Rashid Shah and the then Establishment Incharge Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat by abuse of their official position and in gross violation of the standing Government order/rules.
Taking serious note of this case, Principal Secretary to Government, Housing and Urban Development Department Dheeraj Gupta in the recent past accorded sanction to prosecute the then Executive Officer and the then Establishment Incharge of Municipal Committee Hajin, who were booked by the State Vigilance Organization (now Anti-Corruption Bureau) in the year 2013.
Not only this, the Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department has appointed Farooq Ahmad Rather, Director Urban Local Bodies Kashmir as Inquiry Officer to enquire into the matter and suggest measures for recovery of the wages drawn by the persons who were illegally appointed in the Municipal Committee Hajin, sources said.
With this initiative of the Governor’s Administration the accused Government servants will be punished under the Prevention of Corruption Act and beneficiaries will have to return the illegally drawn wages, sources further said.
In a similar case, Housing and Urban Development Department has appointed Mir Tariq Ali, Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation as Inquiry Officer to conduct an enquiry into the illegal appointments made in the Municipal Committee Tangmarg in violation of norms from May 2006 to December 2013—a period of Ghulam Rasool Shah as Secretary of Municipal Committee Tangmarg, sources said while disclosing that there are three-four more Municipal Committees in Kashmir valley whose record vis-a-vis illegal appointments is being scrutinized on the directions of Government.
“Even required attention is being paid towards other illegalities and this is evident from the fact that Housing and Urban Development Department has confirmed the suspension of Abdul Lateef Mir, Incharge Executive Officer Municipal Committee Sopore ordered by Director Urban Local Bodies Kashmir after a fact finding committee established that this officer had committed grave lapses for obvious reasons”, sources said.
Moreover, inquiry has been initiated against several officers of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation for allowing some people to raise the structures in violation of approved plan and facilitating the illegal constructions.
These officials are Sofi Mohammad Akbar, the then Ward Officer, Bilal Ahmad Baba, Junior Building Inspector, Hakim Aijaz Ali, the then Chief Enforcement Officer, Khurshid Ahmad Mir, the then Enforcement Officer and Nissar Ahmad Shah, Additional Enforcement Officer.
“In certain other grave illegalities committed by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation discreet inquiries are going on and appropriate action will be taken soon after the completion of this exercise”, sources said, adding “Housing and Urban Development Department has made up its mind to take all the cases of illegalities committed either by the Municipal Committees or Municipal Corporations to the logical conclusion”.
Moreover, it has been decided to keep strict watch on the activities of all the Municipal Committees of the State as the possibility of such illegalities being committed at the behest of newly elected Presidents and Members cannot be ruled out, sources further said.
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