Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Apr 20: A mutli-crore scam has surfaced in Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) where crores of rupees deposited in FDRs and cash were withdrawn from bank for the works that were done discreetly over the years.
SKICC Director, Yasmeen Khan, who was attached along with the Engineering Staff, has discreetly spent more than Rs 20 crores on unnecessary civil and electric works for last 3 years in the SKICC.
Sources said that Director has not followed the proper tendering procedure and a blue eyed contractor was allotted civil and electrical works for huge monetary benefits. The money was spent from the FDRs, which were meant for the pensionary and other benefits of the employees of the SKICC.
According to the Account records of the SKICC, in 2013 the Centre had Rs 17 crore as the FDR and cash amounting to Rs 5 crore in 2011 in the bank and in 2016, the cash got reduced to Rs 1.67 crore and the FDR to zero.
The bank account of the SKICC suggested that it had cash of Rs 2,26,21,395.36 and the FDR worth Rs 4,52,00,000.00 in 2004; cash of Rs 3,67,57,669.34 and the FDR worth Rs 4,81,40,000.00 in 2005, cash of Rs 1,01,94,617.84 and the FDR worth Rs 6,98,00,000.00 in 2006; cash of Rs 3,32,97,371.68 and the FDR worth Rs 7,45,00,000.00 in 2007; cash of Rs 2,60, 43,257.00 and the FDR worth Rs 9,50,00,000.00 in 2008, cash of Rs 2,41,09,271,68 and the FDR worth Rs 6,56,00,000.00 in 2009; cash of Rs 34,06,594.77 and the FDR worth Rs 8,95,61,000.00 in 2010; cash of Rs 5,29,96,947.50 and the FDR worth Rs 8,60,61,000.00 in 2011; cash of Rs 1,53,68,871.08 and the FDR worth Rs 14,02,59,728.00 in 2012; cash of Rs 12,77, 866.80 and the FDR worth Rs 16, 93,65,507.00 in 2013; cash of Rs 1,86,20,031.24 and the FDR worth Rs 8,18,72,507.00 in 2014; cash of Rs 4,60,15,047.41 and the FDR worth Rs 2,28,35,507.00 in 2015 and cash of Rs 1,67,46,943.19 and zero FDR in 2016.
As per the Government order (No. 38-TSM of 1988 and Govt. Order No. 103-TSM of 1988 Dt. 08.07.1988), the DDO powers were shared by the Director and FA/CAO of JKTDC.
According to SKICC records up to 2007, all the accounts were signed by the Director, SKICC and FA/CAO but, from 2008 onwards Manager Finance, SKICC has taken over as FA/CAO arbitrarily, without any order issued by the Government or the Board of Governors of SKICC.
Sources said that the Director was operating bank account of the Centre at J&K Bank Branch Brein Nishat, illegally. As per norms, the account was supposed to be operated jointly by the Accounts Officer and Director of SKICC. They said that the CAO of JKTDC was given additional charge to deal with the accounts section of SKICC, but he too was bypassed by the Director SKICC for many years.
Sources said the Accounts Officer, Abdul Ahad Naik, who was posted in the SKICC few months back in his report (Dt. 24.01.2018) has informed the higher ups that Engineering Wing of the SKICC in connivance with the management has created huge liability for the Centre. The report led to the major expose and attachment of the Director and the engineering staff.
Sources said that 200 employees of the SKICC were banking on the FDR for pensionary and other benefits after Cabinet in 2014 approved adoption of Defined Pension Rules (DPR) in respect of the employees of SKICC retiring on or after January 1, 2014. The Cabinet order had authorized the Director SKICC to sanction pension and other retirement benefits to the eligible SKICC employees. The financial burden on account of pension was to be borne by the SKICC out of its internal resources including the FDRs and cash.
Last year, the State Vigilance Commission (SVC) summoned the Director SKICC in connection with the embezzlements. The order was passed after the SVC took cognizance of a complaint, on alleged malpractices, mismanagement and other gross irregularities, lodged by SKICC Employees Union.
It was alleged that Director along with some officials of SKICC were making personal deals with some national-level companies and firms in permitting them to organise functions at SKICC, in violation of rules and norms amounting to abuse of official position, breach of trust, thereby inflicting a huge loss to the State exchequer. It was alleged that crores of rupees were outstanding with Government and private agencies who organize functions at SKICC.
One of the event management companies which was owing Rs 11 lakh to the SKICC, when approached by the Accounts Department, informed them that they had paid the amount. However, it was found that the money was deposited by the Manager Operation in her own account and she was later attached. She, however, filed an affidavit that she will return the money.
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