Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 7: The Chief Engineer Public Health Engineering (PHE) has submitted before the High Court that only 17 out of 60 habitations are getting water supply while rest are still without water supply or are partially covered in Handwara area of Kupwara district where multi-crore scam surfaced in 2014.
Hearing Public Interest Litigation about much publicized multi-crore scam in PHE division Handwara in which various employees from the rank of Executive Engineer to Junior Engineer are under suspension and facing trial, the division bench headed by Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad has taken the report of CE PHE on record and would consider it on next date of hearing.
The multi-crore embezzlement of public exchequer was unearthed in PHE department of Handwara Division way back in 2014 and immediately a PIL was filed before the Court seeking probe into the scam and booking of the erring officials.
Apart from investigation conducted by the Crime Branch in the scam, Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Irrigation and Flood Control and PHE Department was earlier directed to report the court about the departmental enquiry initiated against the delinquent officials involving in the scam.
The CE in its report submitted that the water supply in the Ramhall Block of Handwara is following the norms of National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP) and out of 60 habitations, 17 habitations are getting 100 percent quantity of drinking water and are designated as FC (fully covered)
About 35 habitations CE submitted that they are getting water supply between 10-LPCD to less than 55-LPCD and are designated as a status of PC (partially covered) and remaining habitation do not get the supply more than 10-LPCD which is considered as below norms.
It is also said that remaining habitations are targeted for coverage in the new ongoing program NRDWP with state funding through various schemes. It may be mentioned here that approximately Rs 45 crores of money has been swindled and the said money was meant for the scheme launched under NRDWP to provide the drinking water to the people of district Handwara and its adjoining hilly areas.
Investigation conducted by the Crime Branch has been completed and resulted into filing of final report before the competent court of law for initiation of proceedings against the wrongdoers in accordance with law.
In compliance of earlier court directions the department of Public Health Engineering has placed its 16 officials from the rank of Executive Engineer to Junior Engineer under suspension as they were found involved in irregularities and embezzlement of crores of rupees in NRDWP scandal.
The suspension order of these officers added that the matter being of utmost public importance and Division Bench of High Court is very closely monitoring this aspect on regular basis.
“These officers have remained posted in the division, so their role needs to be enquired into and necessitate their detachment from the active duties by invoking of Rule 31 J&K CSR for a fair and impartial enquiry”, suspension order further read.
Authorities in pursuance of said rules due to pendency of enquiry against them has placed these officials under suspension with immediate effect and attached them with CE I&FC.
In this connection records seized by the CB has been sent to the forensic science laboratory to seek the scientific opinion regarding involvement of accused persons in the scam.
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