JAMMU: Vigilance Organisation Jammu (VOJ) on Thursday registered a case against the then Store Keeper (2011 to 2015) Irrigation Division Akhnoor for hiding his misdeeds and not allowing the Physical Verification Officer to conduct the Annual Physical Inspection of the store for the period 2013-14 and 2014-15.
An official spokesman informed that during preliminary enquiry conducted by VOJ on a complaint referred by Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Jammu regarding the allegation that the aforesaid Storekeeper namely Ram Lal, Senior Assistant, willfully barred the Physical Verification Officer to hold the Annual Physical Inspection of the store for the period 2013-14 and 2014-15.
He said later, a new Physical Verification Officer was appointed who conducted the inspection and found huge shortage of key construction material amounting to Rs. 1,51,23,194 (on existing stock rate).
Ram Lal despite repeated and consistent intimations did not co-operate/bother to attend the inspection, he added.
During the verification by Vigilance it was emerged that Ram Lal, took the charge in the month of May 2011. The Annual Physical Inspection up to the period March 2012 was completed and further necessary orders were issued for the conduct of Physical Inspection but despite consistent and repeated intimations, the store-keeper did not attend and co-operated with the physical inspection officer, resulting thereof no inspection could be conducted for two fiscal years.
Consequently, Vipan Kumar, AEE, was appointed new Physical Inspection Officer, who after intimation to the subject in due time, completed the inspection in the presence of AEE (Store) Ajay Gupta and AAO Kulwant Singh without the cooperation of Storekeeper.
During the inspection a huge shortage of key construction material amounting to Rs. 1,51,23,194 on existing stock rate was revealed.
It is further emerged that the Ram Lal took charge of the store in May 2011 and sooner the balance figure started increasing in the records.
This upward trend got stopped and started declining with the joining of new Executive Engineer Hamesh Manchanda by July 2013 only. The figure of quantity at which this downward trend stopped is the figure of actual shortages. As such, the material found short has been actually embezzled by Ram Lal, by sheer abuse of his official position (store-keeper/custodian of the material) held by the subject and caused the huge loss to the tune of amount mentioned above to State Exchequer.
As such, case FIR No. 23/2016 has been registered in Vigilance Organization Jammu under Sections 5(1) (d) read with 5(2) J&K P.C Act Svt. 2006 and 409 RPC on the prima facie establishment of offences on the part of the aforementioned accused public servant Ram Lal.