Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Aug, 19
“With rampaging corruption having crossed all limits in J&K, the local administration and anti corruption bodies seem to have granted immunity to the offenders and wrongdoers in view of the political clout enjoyed by them. Not only was corruption rampant in bureaucratic circles, but the corruption by political persons and breached all previous records with vigilante organizations behaving as mute spectators. And all this notwithstanding the loud snubs that the administration has been receiving from the courts as well as the civil society”. This was stated by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman-JKNPP and former Minister while addressing public meetings in Noti, Naugalta, Chaksu, Gajad and Champeri in Chenani constituency during his two days tour.
Pointing towards the illegal usurping of govt premises including ministerial bungalows by the BJP leaders, Mr. Singh said that such unauthorized occupation of public premises provided the most glaring example of political corruption. And the nexus between the corrupt officers and politicians was evident from the fact that no action had been taken to evict them despite categoric orders of the High Court. Not only that the said leaders were availing all facilities in the illegally occupied houses at govt expense without paying any rent and still the govt was harping on the slogans of ‘good governance’ and corruption free dispensation.
“Several reports of corruption and malpractices against the BJP leaders had been thrown into the dustbin by the present dispensation and anti graft bodies working under the tutelage of their New Delhi masters. While an NC leader’s son was booked for J&K Bank fraud, the BJP leaders having executed an identical fraud by declaring their huge loan from the same Bank as NPA were allowed to go scot free. Likewise, several Ex-Ministers and Ex-MLAs of BJP had usurped huge state land, Forest lands besides Municipality and JDA lands but seemed to have been granted immunity with none to take cognizance. The govt booked Mr. Lal Singh after he quit the BJP for alleged encroachments on govt and other lands but has maintained a studied silence with regard to the illegal encroachments of govt land valuing crores by several leaders of the saffron party whose names had come in public domain on several occasions. It was amazing to see the BJP having shut its mouth over the Roshni scam, despite its earlier proactive stand against the scheme, after its own MLAs were found involved in the nasty deals”, rued Singh.
Pointing towards the illegal appointments made in Health Deptt, Power Deptt, PHE, Industries Deptts, J&K Bank besides others during the BJP-PDP rule, Mr. Singh regretted the patronage provided to the corrupt elements by the administration and anti graft bodies. He reminisced that even the erstwhile Governor had divulged before the media that 3000 backdoor appointments were made in J&K Bank for extraneous and monetary considerations by a politician-officers nexus in saffron rule. He regretted that neither the said backdoor appointments were rescinded nor any politician booked for the scandalous appointments. The said Governor had further pointed towards irregularities in allotments of contracts of Insurance and power Deptt and alleged huge kickbacks amounting to several crores having exchanged hands. But nothing happened as expected in view of political clout of the offenders.
Expressing grave concern over the brazen loot of funds in Chenani constituency, Mr. Singh said that plan and non plan funds amounting to several crores in the Deptts of R&B, PHE, RDD, PMGSY etc had been siphoned off in the name of repairs, restoration and maintenance without any tangible work having been executed on the ground during the past few years.
He flayed the authorities concerned for pathetic condition of Barmeen–Ghordi road, Charat–Pakhlai road, Tandhar–Satyalta–Charat road and Chenani–Pattangarh road and sought their immediate completion/up-gradation in view of massive public resentment in the area. He further lambasted the PDD and L&T company for failure to ensure timely electrification of village Satyalta, Charat, Seuna, Dhandhal, Prowa Jagir and demanded immediate replacement of wooden poles which posed a huge risk to the lives of the people inhabiting the said villages.
