Noisy scenes in LC over multi-crore scam in JAKFED

JAMMU :  Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council with the government admitting Rs 300 crore embezzlement in J&K Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation (JAKFED), leading to demands of CBI probe or House Committee from several members.
Commencing the discussion in the House over multi-crore scam in JAKFED and failure of the government to recover the money embezzled by officials, Congress member Naresh Kumar Gupta demanded CBI probe into it in view of this being a scam worth crores of rupees.
“Government has failed to recover the money and those officials involved in the scam are continuing with the job and some of them have retired– it needs probe by the CBI,” Gupta said.
He was supported by NC legislator Najib Khalid Suharwardy, Congress members- Jugal Kishore, Ravinder Sharma and G N Monga, who demanded setting up of House Committee to probe the scam.
Replying over this issue, Minister of state for Cooperatives Manohar Lal Sharma told the House that there is misappropriation and embezzlement of Rs 299 crores in JAKFED during 1985-1995.
He informed that 35 employees have been dismissed from services and 15 others have been removed and attached but they have returned back to the JAKFED through court orders.
However, he was interrupted as the members resorted to protests, grilling the minister for failure to recover the money and take action in the multi-crore scam.
Intervening the discussion, Chairman Amrit Malhotra announced that the House Committee would be formed to probe the scam but turned down the demand for CBI probe. (AGENCIES)