STATE TIMES NEWS
RAMNAGAR: Expressing grave concern over the recent real estate and demonetized currency scam worth several crores of rupees involving of ministers in the J&K Government as widely reported in the media, hundreds of panther activists led by Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman JKNPP staged a protest and torched the effigy of the Coalition Government for failing to take the stern action against the tainted ministers.
Addressing gathering here on Friday, Harsh said that the vices like corruption had been rampant in politics which required to be weeded out without delay for healthy democracy, empowered society and holistic development.
While referring to the recent reports of scandals appearing in the section of media, he revealed that one of the ministers was given a graft of Rs.13 crore by a sitting MLC for clearing real estate projects of the latter. He said that the project file was gathering dust in the concerned ministry which was reportedly ratified following the deal. He said that such scandals brought disgrace to the electoral politics and the erring politicians should be dealt strictly to uphold the confidence of the people.
Harsh, while flaying another scam reported in the media pertaining to the seizure of demonetized currency belonging to one of the ministers, expressed dismay that Rs. 5 crores of unaccounted money was seized by the police from a security escort vehicle of the minister in Jammu city which was further released to Katra for its conversion into new currency. He said that it was quite scandalous that the few ministers were involved in knee deep corruption and other wrong doings but the government agencies were deliberately trying to shield the culprits and hush up several other scams. Singh, while hailing the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti’s drive against corruption, reminisced that Panthers Party had filed several complaints against one sitting BJP MLA who had amassed huge wealth after becoming a legislator. He disclosed that the same MLA had claimed to have a meager Rs. 15,000 in his bank account before the Assembly elections but astoundingly the incumbent Legislator had recently built a palatial bungalow by fraudulently withdrawing subsidies and incentives from the Horticulture and the Agriculture Departments besides manipulating other corrupt deeds as per the information received through RTIs filed by the party. He said that the monetary benefits including the subsidies and incentives were otherwise granted for the poor, marginalised people and BPL families.
Among those who spoke on the occasion included Pt. Shiv Ram Sharma, Dev Singh, Capt. Vijay Singh, Pushpinder Singh, Akash Kharka, Uttam Singh and Sunil Kumar.
