STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The State Vigilance Commission (SVC) on Thursday ordered departmental probe into misappropriation of funds in the execution of water supply scheme (WSS) in Pulwama district of South Kashmir.
The Commission directed Commissioner-Secretary to Government, PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control department for initiating regular departmental enquiry against officers and engineers allegedly involved in mismanagement and misappropriation of funds released for execution of water supply scheme Malangpora, Jungalnar Shalitokena, Awantipora Pulwama, an SVC spokesman said.
The directions were issued on a complaint against Executive Engineer, PHE Division Awantipora and Executive Engineer Mechanical Division South Awantipora in connection with withdrawal of huge funds from government exchequer in the name of WSSs at Jungalnar and Malangpora.
The WSSs were approved in the year 2003-04 and 2007-08 respectively under ARWSP (Augmentation of Rural water Supply Programme) to provide water facilities to at least nine villages of District Pulwama, he said.
It was alleged that the officers and engineers concerned despite drawing funds in crores from time to time have done nothing on ground, the SVO spokesman said.
Besides, the records pertaining to PHE Division Awantipora show that underground pipes have been laid but nothing exists on spot, he said.
Keeping in view the hardships suffered by the villagers, the Commission had directed the District Vigilance Officer, Pulwama, for on the spot inquiry and report to the Commission earlier, the spokesman said.
The report submitted by the District Vigilance Officer, Pulwama, stated that although the WSS Malangpora was shown completed in the year 2014-2015 part of the scheme meant for poor habitations of Malangpora was still non-functional due to ill planning by the concerned officers-engineers, he said.
Likewise WSS Jungalnar, Shali tokina was not well planned resulting in failure of the scheme and wastage of public money at large, exposing the work culture, feeble management and loose supervision on the part of concerned officers/engineers resulting in huge loss to the state exchequer, he said.
Besides the probe, an immediate audit and inspection of the schemes is to be carried out by a team of officers of indisputable integrity, he said.
