*Panels of officers fail to meet deadlines fixed by FC
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 18: Notwithstanding the tall claims of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government about providing clean administration to the people, the Agriculture Production Department has failed to lay required focus on the cases relating to corruption, embezzlement of funds and misuse of powers as a result of which the accused officers have not only remained unpunished but are enjoying the prime postings.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Agriculture Production Department received various complaints against M Y Masoodi, the then Deputy Director Law Enforcement, Lal Mandi Srinagar from Vigilance Section of the General Administration Department, Chief Minister’s Secretariat and Crime Branch vide communications dated December 20, 2016, June 14, 2016 and October 24, 2016 respectively regarding corruption and misuse of official position.
The complaints were examined and accordingly Director Agriculture Kashmir was directed to furnish factual report in a time bound manner. Following repeated reminders, the Director submitted report vide letter dated February 17, 2017 mentioning that as per the procedure in vogue, complaints referred to the Directorate were sent to the Departmental Vigilance Officer for in-depth enquiry. However, the DVO has failed to conduct enquiry into the allegations leveled against the accused officer.
Accordingly, after assessing the ground situation, the Director Agriculture Kashmir conveyed to the Agriculture Production Department that holding of any enquiry against the accused by an officer of agriculture fraternity will lead to biased results as such a team of officers from Administrative Department shall be constituted to enquiry into the matter which is directly related to the welfare of the farming community.
In the light of the report of the Director Agriculture Kashmir, the then Financial Commissioner Agriculture Production Department Pramod Jain vide Government Order No.103-Agri dated March 29, 2017 constituted a committee to enquire into the complaints of corruption against M Y Masoodi, the then Incharge Deputy Director Law Enforcement.
The committee headed by Director Finance and comprised of Director Law Enforcement and Deputy Secretary to Government was directed to submit its report/findings within a period of 10 days so as to pave the way for necessary action.
However, despite lapse of nearly two months the committee has failed to complete the task assigned to it, sources said, adding “in the meanwhile, the Enquiry Officer (Director Finance Agriculture Production Department) was transferred by the Government and the new officer is still unaware of any development in the case”.
Similarly, the then Financial Commissioner Agriculture Production Department Pramod Jain vide Government Order No.110-Agri dated April 6, 2017 had ordered enquiry into misappropriation/ embezzlement of Government money and misuse of drawing and disbursing powers by Rajinder Bhagat, the then Project Executive Officer (Sericulture) Jammu.
A committee headed by Secretary, Agriculture Production Department and comprising of three other officers was directed to submit report within 15 days. However, this case has also met uncertain fate till date as no seriousness has been shown towards the allegation of misappropriation of funds and misuse of powers, sources said.
“What was the fun of ordering enquiries when the same are not to be taken to the logical conclusion”, sources asked, adding “on one side heads of the committees have been soft-paddling on the enquiries and on the other side the higher-ups in the Agriculture Production Department have maintained silence as a result of which not only the accused officers have remained unpunished but are also enjoying the prime postings”.
When contacted, Abdul Rashid Bhat, Presenting Officer in the enquiry ordered against the then Deputy Director Law Enforcement Agriculture Department Lal Mandi Srinagar said, “we had initiated some exercise but because of certain reasons the enquiry could not be taken to logical conclusion”, adding “we are going to expedite the same in the coming days”.
“It is a matter of serious concern that officers of the Agriculture Production Department are soft-paddling on the complaints of corruption received from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Crime Branch and Vigilance Section of General Administration Department”, sources said, adding “the dilly-dallying approach in taking enquiries to logical conclusion is notwithstanding the tall claims of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government about cleansing administration of corrupt elements”.
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