‘Illegal retention of Govt bungalows, vehicles’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 9: Referring to the illegal occupation of Estates mansions and Ministerial bungalows by BJP leaders besides retention of Govt vehicles by them without any entitlement, NPP Chairman Harsh Dev Singh accused the politician-officer nexus of misusing the state’s resources and public exchequer in J&K.
In a press statement, Singh said that despite the Assembly having dissolved in 2018 and Ministers and MLAs having ceased to exist, it was shocking to note the continued encroachment of public properties by the Ex-legislators of BJP without any lawful authority due to the shelter provided to them by some bureaucrats of J&K.
Not only were the said BJP leaders unlawful encroachers but even the High Court too had directed repeatedly for their eviction with recovery of penal rent from them for the period they overstayed in the said premises. The J&K bureaucrats however, had allowed the said leaders to continue to hold possession of the said public premises in their desperation to keep the BJP and JKAP leaders in good humour. It was surely a case of ‘quid pro quo’, he added.
Singh said the officers were assured of favourable postings and being granted personal benefits as a return gift. Deputy Director Estates was allowed to continue on the same post for more than five years for having served the cause of the BJP leaders. He said that these officers had been used by the BJP to throw out the opposition leaders from Estates quarters.Not only the Estates Bungalows but the security vehicles and PSOs were also being allotted purely on political considerations, said Singh.
He pointed out that all the Ex-MLAs and Ex-Ministers of BJP and JKAP were provided security vehicles and a huge paraphernalia of security personnel while denying bare minimum security to opposition leaders. He said that even top leadership of recognized political parties has also been divested of their due security by withdrawing their escorts, vehicles as well as security PSOs despite facing militants’ threats. He sought personal indulgence of the President of India for ensuring a transparent and accountable system in J&K.
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