“Corruption unbounded in RDD”;Payments drawn under ‘maintenance’ head even for non existing works: Harsh

STATE TIMES NEWS
RAMNAGAR: Beating all records of corruption, the Rural Development Department (RDD) in Ramnagar Constituency has created history of sorts by releasing payments in respect of maintenance of works even the original construction of which has not been approved by the competent authority till date, said Harsh Dev Singh, JKNPP Chairman and former Minister.
He regretted that with the culture of patronised corruption having crossed all limits, the complaints of general masses are being thrown into the dustbin. He said that funds amounting to crores have been siphoned off by the corrupt politician-department nexus under MG-NREGA, SDRF and 14th Finance Commission with none to take cognisance.
He said that the officials openly claimed that they were immune from action in view of political patronage enjoyed by them. With the corruption having fully engulfed the system, the people had lost faith in the present dispensation and were planning a mass movement which would be given full support by the JKNPP, stated Singh who was interacting with a delegation of Ex-Sarpanchs and Panchs of Ramnagar Constituency.
Pointing towards the glaring instances of mal practices, Harsh said that 18 tractor roads were repaired in Ramnagar Constituency recently under SDRF and interestingly the payment drawn for repairs of said tractor roads was more them the cost of their original construction in each such case.
He cautioned the authorities concerned who were trying to hush-up the case under political pressure that scams of such gargantuan proportion would not be allowed to go unpunished in view of huge public resentment. Likewise, Singh said that payment amounting to Rs. 1.50 lakh had been withdrawn for maintenance of Bowli Khalair in Nagroata Panj-Grain under 14th Finance Commission last month notwithstanding the fact even the construction of the said Bowli was awaiting approval from ACD Udhampur.
He said that there were several other instances brought to the notice of the concerned authorities where fake and fictitious bills had been prepared and public money plundered by vested interests and politicians in collusion with corrupt officials of the RDD besides several officials had categorically told the Gram Sabhas that work orders would be issued only to those who owed allegiance to a particular political party, he lamented.
He regretted that such corrupt officials were not only watching the political but also the pecuniary interests of corrupt politicians in Ramnagar. Highlighting the pathetic scenario prevalent in the RDD sector in Ramnagar constituency, Harsh said that the corruption ridden department was fully exposed recently by one of its own employees who resigned from the post of GRS alleging large scale malpractices and frauds which he said had caused him suffocation.
Divulging the details, Harsh Dev said that one Ravinder Singh, a Gram Rozgar Sevak posted in Chore Panjain Panchayat had submitted his resignation in April last stating therein that he was constantly under pressure from his corrupt colleagues to connive in the irregularities with threats also hurled upon him to prepare fake and fictitious bills which had greatly shaken his conscience and shattered his faith in the Deptt. forcing him to resign. He said that the matter was reported to all higher authorities including Minister concerned who only hailed the resignation of a conscientious employee but refused to take cognizance of the malpractices highlighted. Seeki-ng the indulgence of the Governor, Chief Minister and Minister Rural Development, Singh sought the nailing of the corrupt before they put the entire department to sale.