Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 15: Alleging large scale irregularities in the functioning of SKUAST Jammu, former MLA and NPP chairman Harshdev Singh urged upon the Governor who is also the Chancellor of the Agricultural University to order a high level probe into the allegations and complaints of omissions and commissions being committed by some officers with impunity.
In a press statement Mr Singh said that there has been a deterioration in the functioning of SKUAST- Jammu including all it six Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) located in Jammu, Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch, Bhaderwah and Reasi.
Pointing towards a scandalous abuse of Rs 4 crore project of e-studio in SKUAST-J, Mr Singh said that despite expending of the entire sanctioned amount, the proposed project is still in limbo. Clarifying further, the NPP leader said that Govt had approved Rs 4 crore project in 2009-10 for establishment of e-studio at Chatha Jammu which was to be linked to 20 remote locations of Jammu province through e-Kiosks. He said that project was initiated to provide a facility to the farmers of remote areas to interact with scientists through Satellite links so as to disseminate information on scientific farming and other techniques for increased productivity. He regretted that though the funds to the tune of Rs 4 crore have been spent but there is no physical achievement with neither the e-studio, nor the proposed 20 e- Kiosks having become functional.
He said no farmer – scientist interaction could materialize in view of the misappropriation of funds. He said that 6 KVKs working under the SKUAST have become almost defunct. Mr Singh said that SKUAST which had already earned the notoriety of making many backdoor appointments including teaching and ministerial staff has been found involved in several other scams which have gone unreported. Making a particular mention of software named Integrated ‘University Developing Management System’ (IUDMS) the contract for developing which was given to a Gurgaon based private company named ‘Expedien’ without inviting tenders, he pointed out that the said software was never commissioned though the SKUAST made a payment of Rs 1.25 crore to the private company. He said certain officers of SKUAST who had offered to develop the said software free of cost, were mischievously sidelined by transferring them out of the SKUAST campus.
He wondered that though the software was never commissioned but still several lakhs were spent on the same in subsequent years in the name of Annual Maintenance charges (AMC). He further pointed out towards Data Centre having been established in SKUAST Jammu without inviting tenders for its construction or even for purchase of servers and other equipments including ACs. He said that farmers’ hostel was constructed around 5 yrs back in SKUAST Jammu for providing boarding and lodging facilities to the farmers but nothing of the sort ever happened and no farmer was allowed to stay there. It has been converted into a poultry farm where chickens are hatched for personal use of insiders.
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