Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 17: In the much publicized Public Interest Litigation titled Sheikh Mohd Shafi & Another Versus Union of India & Others, petitioners have filed a fresh application in the State High Court seeking directions to the Chief Secretary, Commissioner/Secretary, General Administration Department and Commissioner/Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department to produce before the court the inquiry report pursuant to Govt. Order No.178-HUD of 2015 dated July, 14, 2015.
Vide this order 15 days time had been earmarked for submission of the inquiry report into the creation of Rs 27.60 crore liability in J&K Housing Board during the tenure of the then Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture Raman Bhalla.
In the miscellaneous petition, it has been submitted that the then Chairman J&K Housing Board Raman Bhalla who happened to be MLA Gandhi Nagar issued numerous illegal instructions/ directions/orders to Ram Pal, the then Incharge Managing Director J&K Housing Board for executing several works at various locations in Jammu/Srinagar through his blue eyed contractors in derogation to J&K Business Rules read with J&K Financial Code. The works in question were distributed to select contractors who were enjoying proximity with the Former Minister Raman Bhalla.
It has further been stated in the petition that Bipul Pathak, the then Commissioner/Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department taking serious note of the creation of Rs 27.60 crore liability issued Govt. Order No.178-HUD of 2015 dated July, 14, 2015 whereby a Committee was constituted comprising MD J&K Housing Board, Additional Secretary to Govt. Housing and Urban Development Department and Joint Director Planning and Statistics Housing and Urban Development Department for conducting inquiry into the works executed by J&K Housing Board during the tenure of the then Minister for Housing Raman Bhalla.
The Committee was directed to look into entire gamut under which these works were executed and whether the requisite codal formalities were fulfilled before execution of works or not. The Committee was also asked to conduct the physical verification of works on random basis to test check the quality and quantity of works so executed viz-a-viz amount spent/liability accrued.
The Committee was further directed to furnish its report within 15 days positively to the Government. “Till date despite the lapse of more than 10 months the enquiry has not been finalized and the Committee is sitting over the matter solely due to the political clout enjoyed by then Minister for Housing Raman Bhalla and his stooge Ram Pal”, the petitioners said, adding “the PIO Housing and Urban Development Department on April 7, 2016 in response to RTI application divulged that the inquiry is under process”.
It was further mentioned in the application that the petitioner, in view of inordinate delay in the finalization of the inquiry, approached the Chief Minister vide his detailed communication dated April 25, 2016 with copies to Deputy Chief Minister (Minister for Housing and Urban Development Department) wherein lackadaisical/callous approach of the inquiry committee in sitting over the matter was highlighted. Even the office of the Chief Minister did not initiate substantial action in the matter till date.
In the application, the petitioners have prayed to the court that appropriate directions be issued to the Chief Secretary, Secretaries of GAD and Housing and Urban Development Departments to produce before the court the inquiry report.
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