Shadow Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 15:
As the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly’s newly constituted House Committee prepares to begin its investigation into the alleged multi-crore Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam, whistleblower and former IAS officer Ashok Kumar Parmar has written to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), seeking the prosecution of former Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta and three retired chief engineers of the Jal Shakti Department, the Wire news portal reported. In a detailed letter addressed to the ACB and citing recent court rulings dated April 12, Parmar has alleged that there exists “credible evidence” to prosecute Mehta, along with former chief engineers Manesh Bhat, Humesh Manchanda, and Basharat Jeelani Kawoosa, under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for their alleged involvement in a “criminal conspiracy to abuse public office, misappropriate public funds, and cause a massive loss to the state exchequer.”
Parmar’s letter accuses Mehta of abusing his position to facilitate large-scale irregularities in the procurement of pipes worth Rs 6,000 crore under the centrally sponsored JJM scheme. The former top bureaucrat is alleged to have misled both the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Home Affairs, resulting in financial loss and delays in the implementation of the scheme, which aims to provide potable drinking water to every household in the Union Territory.
According to Parmar, Mehta bypassed mandatory administrative approvals from the Lieutenant Governor-chaired Administrative Council for the large-scale pipe procurements. Despite Parmar raising objections, Mehta allegedly failed to cancel irregular contracts, thereby enriching suppliers and contractors at the cost of public funds.
Launched on August 15, 2019, by the BJP-led Union government, the JJM has missed multiple deadlines in Jammu and Kashmir, with only 80.5 per cent of the targeted 18.69 lakh households covered so far. Parmar’s letter claims the delays are not merely bureaucratic but stem from deliberate mismanagement and misappropriation of funds.
The letter details serious accusations against the three retired engineers:
Humesh Manchanda, who was brought in as Chief Engineer of the Jammu division allegedly on Mehta’s behest, is accused of placing pipe orders worth Rs 4,141.5 crore (including HDPE pipes deemed unsuitable for the region’s hilly terrain). He was appointed despite pending departmental inquiries and a past FIR filed by the then Vigilance Organisation for embezzlement.
Manesh Bhat, who was suspended for poor performance without a departmental inquiry, is alleged to have been used as a scapegoat, while Manchanda was elevated in violation of government rules.
Basharat Jeelani Kawoosa, former Chief Engineer of Kashmir, is accused of placing pipe orders worth Rs 1,390 crore by extending contracts without fresh tenders and bypassing required approvals.
Besides, the letter further alleges that the HDPE pipes procured were substandard and made of recycled rubber, many of which have cracked or perished. Contractors protested the use of these pipes, citing safety and suitability concerns, and raised issues with the arbitrary laying rates fixed without competitive bidding.
Parmar, a 1992-batch officer, claims he was transferred on August 7, 2022, the same day he proposed to cancel the controversial HDPE pipe orders worth Rs 582.5 crore, as they violated the technical requirements for Jammu and Kashmir’s difficult terrain.
The whistleblower has also claimed that the contractors may have received duplicate payments by showing the same invoices under multiple contracts. He has called for a detailed audit of invoices, inventories, and the contractors involved.
The Assembly Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, ordered the formation of a House Committee on March 22 in response to the uproar initiated by BJP lawmakers during the budget session. The 11-member committee, chaired by retired High Court judge and National Conference leader Justice Hasnain Masoodi, is tasked with probing the alleged scam.
Parmar’s letter also refers to earlier communications. He claims to have written six letters to the then Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and five to the current Chief Secretary Atal Dullo between 2022 and 2023. In one of the key communications dated July 20, 2022 (Letter No PS/Prpl-Secy/JSD/2022), Parmar flagged discrepancies amounting to Rs 2,993.88 crore.
The letter highlights the broader pattern of administrative irregularities, including violations of J&K’s transfer policy and improper appointments that enabled the alleged scam. It also claims that procurement orders violated guidelines issued by the JJM apex committee, departmental contract committees, and the finance department clarifications.
The ACB is yet to make a public statement regarding the new plea.
Parmar, who is currently facing departmental action for allegedly flouting service rules, has argued that the charges against him are a form of retaliation for his whistleblowing. He insists that his intervention was guided by public interest, and the integrity of the scheme meant to benefit millions.
