Crores siphoned off by J-K officials, all depts stink

Crores siphoned off by J-K officials, all depts stink
NAZIR MASOODI

SRINAGAR, NOV 3: The State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) last month detected embezzlement of funds amounting to Rs 100 crore in the Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority and filed seven separate cases against its officials last month. The money was shown as spent on beautification, de-weeding and cleanliness of the Dal Lake.

Cases of misappropriation of funds have been registered against the Public Heath Engineering divisions in most districts. Rs 18 crore had been shown as spent on water-supply schemes in Kupwara division. Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah is reported to have said with his tongue firmly in his cheek: ``I believe the water pipes have been sent to PoK.''

Money earmarked as security-related expenditure, a special Central assistance for fighting militancy, has been found to be misused. Recently, Rs 43 lakh had been drawn for providing accommodation to BSF personnel, which they never availed of. A former senior official is believed to be guilty.

Shah Latief, former Deputy Commissioner of Kupwara, had allegedly siphoned off Rs 2.50 crore meant for migrant Kashmiri pandits. A commission set up by Divisional Commissioner held him guilty but no action was taken.

A Cabinet minister from Kupwara district is alleged to have drawn ex gratiatwice under two surnames of his father in March and April 1997.

State Vigilance Commissioner Rajinder Tikoo is at a loss of words when asked about the total money siphoned off till now. If the corruption cases pending before the SVO since the last six years are taken into account -- each state department has its fair share -- the amount equals the states annual budgetary allocation.

Tikoo says his department will be able to investigate only those cases registered in the past one year. He says public funds were not accounted for from 1990 to 1996. In the past four years, the SVO has registered 1,650 corruption cases. More than 1,700 employees of various departments have been booked.

According to Vigilance records, most development projects shown as completed exist only on paper. In one case, a proposal for a project was made, contract issued, work completed, cleared and money drawn in a single day!

The Kishen Ganga Hydro Electric Power Project was constructed at a cost of Rs 782.15 crore. Out of the 1,222 works shown executed as per cash vouchers, the SVO found that records for only 306 had been furnished. The officials failed to identify the works shown on paper. Fifty-four of them, including two chief engineers have been booked.

Cases alleging purchase of spurious medicines, substandard medical equipment and X-Ray machines without verification by the Health Department have been registered by the SVO. The department's director was suspended in the spurious medicines case last year but reinstated even after the SVO procured a Forensic Science Laboratory report confirming that the medicines were spurious.