Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 7: As the State Vigilance Organization (SVO) has made headway in the enquiry into the double drawl of POL by the vehicles at the disposal of Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Special Judge Anticorruption, Jammu, Puneet Gupta today issued directions for completion of enquiry without any further delay and preferably within a period of two months.
After going through the latest status report submitted by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Vigilance Organization, Jammu, Special Judge Anticorruption observed, “the grievance of Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmad, counsel for applicant Prof S K Bhalla, is that the Vigilance has not completed even the preliminary enquiry in terms of order dated December 27, 2012 and prays that Vigilance Organization be directed to complete the proceedings within stipulated time”.
“However, the status report filed on March 2, 2013 reveals that the preliminary enquiry has now picked up as the verification has been conducted in respect of the certain vehicles mentioned in the report”, the Court said, adding “the status report doesn’t reveal how much more time will be taken to complete the preliminary enquiry. As much headway appears to have been made in the enquiry, the Court believes that the same shall now be completed within reasonable time without any further delay and preferably within a period of two months”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Government Order No.1123-GAD of 1997 dated July 11, 1997 states that fuel to the vehicles allotted to the Minister by the State Motor Garages is to be issued by the concerned Administrative Department while as in case of security vehicles the same has to be provided by the Security Wing of the State Police.
According to the latest status report filed by SSP Vigilance, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, “in respect of vehicle No. JK02AE-7477 (Tata Safari), which was allotted to Deputy Chief Minister by the State Motor Garages in the month of January 2009, a total of 12242 litres of POL was issued by the Housing and Urban Development Department till November 2012. However, some other departments have also issued POL to the vehicle at many intervals”.
“Jammu Municipal Corporation issued a total of 585 litres of POL to this vehicle from March 6, 2010 to July 2, 2012. The perusal of the log book reveals that from January 2009 to July 2012 JDA had issued 585 litres of POL, Local Bodies 500 litres and UEED 100 litres to this vehicle. However, Secretary JDA and Directorate of Local Bodies, Jammu and Srinagar gave their written report mentioning that neither they have allotted any vehicle nor issued any sort of POL”, the status report said, adding “the matter will again be taken with the concerned offices for clarification”.
As far as Vehicle No.JK02AM-8445 (Tata Safari) is concerned, the status report said, “this vehicle was issued 6489 litres of POL by the Housing and Urban Development Department from September 2009 till November 2012. However, Jammu Municipal Corporation has also issued 865 litres of POL to this vehicle at many intervals”, adding “the perusal of log book reveals that a total of 11048.7 litres of POL had been issued in favour of this vehicle. However, the name of the department/organization as well as quantity issued by each is not mentioned/bifurcated in the log book. It is yet to be verified that from which source the remaining quantity of 3694 litres of POL was drawn”.
About the Gypsy bearing number JK02AA-3321 (pilot vehicle to DyCM), status report said, “the POL to the vehicle had been issued by JMC/SMC and LAWDA whereas no POL in favour of vehicle was issued by the Housing and Urban Development Department”, adding “the verification conducted so far reveals that from April 1, 2009 till February 8, 2011, JMC issued 2745 litres of POL at 86 different times while as SMC issued 1760 litres of POL at 52 different times and LAWDA issued 40 litres of POL”.
“The perusal of log book reveals that the total POL of 5246.8 litres is entered in the log book as such there is an excess entry of 701.8 litres of POL in the log books of the vehicle. The department(s) which issued the POL to the tune of 701.8 litres is yet to be verified”, the status report further said, adding “another pilot vehicle bearing registration number JK02AF-9362 was issued 985 litres of POL by JMC and 1330 litres of POL by LAWDA. The perusal of log book reveals that a total of 3281 litres of POL was issued to this vehicle but it is yet to be verified that which department/organization issued the remaining quantity of 1066 litres of POL to this vehicle”.
As far as Ambassador car bearing number JK02H-1998 (attached with DyCM as staff car from December 2009 to July 2010) is concerned, the status report said, “the drivers of these vehicles stated that the cost of POL consumed by the vehicle was borne by Directorate Urban Local Bodies, Jammu and LAWDA. However, both these organizations denied having issued POL. The matter will again be taken with the concerned departments for clarification”.
The Ambassador car bearing number JK02U-8598, which remained attached with the Additional Secretary to DyCM from March 2009 to April 2011, was issued 6083 litres of POL by Housing and Urban Development Department and the verification revealed that during this period JMC also issued 110 litres of POL in favour of this vehicle, the report said.
According to the status report, “the vehicles of departments other than that of Garages/Security had also remained attached with DyCM and his staff”, adding “a Maruti car bearing registration number JK02AP-2980 registered in the name of Summit Dasgotra, son of Jagdish Dasgotra of Maira Mandrian, Akhnoor was issued 40 litres of POL by Jammu Municipal Corporation on April 23, 2011 on the written request of OSD to Deputy Chief Minister”.
“On November 18, 2010 on the written request of Special Assistant to Deputy Chief Minister, JMC Jammu issued 40 litres of POL in favour of vehicle No.JK02AA-3381. However, perusal of log book reveals that the fuel had been reflected in the log book of vehicle number JK02AA-3321”, the report said.
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