STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir government violated discretionary powers by making allotments of government accommodation ranging from 191 to 617 per cent under a quota of just 5 per cent, a CAG report says.
“The records (of the audit of discretionary quota allotments by the Estate Department) showed that the sealing of discretionary allotment of 5 per cent had not been maintained and remain in the range of 191 to 617 per cent,” the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its report for the year ended March 31, 2015, said.
The Chief Minister, who is incharge Minister of Estates Department, allots the government accommodation under discretionary quota.
Giving further details, CAG said that against an overall quota of 51 accommodation (quarters and independent houses), the government has allotted 205 such accommodation to legislators, MPs, media persons, former MPs and legislators, besides political persons.
The report further said that 84 media persons have been given accommodation by the state government under discretionary quota followed by 56 political persons, 40 former legislators, 10 former MPs, 11 MLAs and MLCs, besides two MPs in Srinagar and Jammu.
Against the quota of six bungalows falling under type VII accommodation, 22 such accommodation have been allotted which includes 8 to political persons, one media person and six former legislators.
Similarly, under type VI accommodation of independent house, against a quota of six, 43 allotments have been made which includes 18 media persons, 12 former legislators, six former MPs and 7 political persons.
Similarly, against a quota of six flats under type V accommodation, 36 such accommodation have been allotted which includes 18 journalists and 11 former legislators.
Against a quota of 33 flats under type IV accommodation, government has allotted 96 such flats which include 47 to media persons and 36 to political persons. .
Expressing displeasure over the allotments, the CAG report said “non-adherence to the norms of discretionary allotment led to non-allotment of government residential accommodation to 152 officers and other dignitaries”.
Criticising the government over avoidable expenditure, the CAG report said that the detailed audit scrutiny showed that the department had incurred avoidable expenditure of Rs 4.66 crore on hiring of 152 private houses and rooms in hotels during 2014-15.
