Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 13: Former minister and J&K National Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh today alleged that corruption in the Rural Development Department has reached alarming proportions and in many cases repairs cost of many roads have exceeded the actual construction cost.
Addressing a meeting of party workers here today, Harsh Dev said that with corruption engulfing the State like plague during the present regime, the RDD appeared to be worse afflicted. He said that with complaints of irregularities and plunder of public money being reported in the media on regular basis, it was regrettable that there was none to respond or to take cognizance.
Singh revealed that scope of manipulations and frauds had enlarged in the recent past so as to cover fake and fictitious bills, fake muster rolls, fraudulent vouchers, double drawls for same works, payments for nonexistent works, fake repairs, inflated bills and crores of public money was being siphoned off without any check.
Harsh Dev regretted that with the culture of patronized corruption having crossed all limits, the complaints of general masses were being thrown into the dustin. He said that funds amounting to crores have been siphoned off by the corrupt politician-Deptt nexus under MG-NREGA, SDRF and 14th Finance Commission with none to take cognizance. With the corruption having beaten all previous records, the people had lost faith in the present dispensation. Singh said he himself filed complaint with Minister for RDD and top functionaries which had been disregarded.
Pointing towards the glaring instances of mal practices, Harsh Dev Singh said that 18 tractor roads were repaired in Ramnagar constituency recently under SDRF and interestingly the payment drawn for repairs of said tractor roads was more than the cost of their original construction in each such case. He cautioned the authorities concerned who were trying to hush up the case under political pressure. Likewise, Singh said that payment amounting to Rs 1.50 lakh had been withdrawn for maintenance of Bowli Khalair in Nagroata Panj-Grain under 14th FC last month notwithstanding the fact even the construction of the said Bowli was awaiting approval from ACD Udhampur.
Highlighting the pathetic scenario prevalent in the RDD in Ramnagar constituency, Harsh Dev said that this Deptt was fully exposed recently by one of its own employees who resigned from the post of GRS alleging large scale malpractices and frauds which he said had caused him suffocation. He said one Ravinder Singh, a GRS posted in Chore Panjain Panchayat had submitted his resignation in April last stating massive corruption and fraud/ irregularities in the Deptt. forcing him to resign. He said that the matter was reported to all higher authorities including Minister concerned but no action was visible on the ground. .
Seeking the indulgence of the Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Singh sought the nailing of the corrupt and initiation of stern action so that it acted as deterrent for other corrupt elements in the system.
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