RS.27.60 CRORE J&K HOUSING BOARD SCAM;3-Member Inquiry Report forwarded to SVO for probe

By admin On Jul 15, 2016

STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In the much publicized contempt petition regarding initiation of contempt of court proceedings against IGP Vigilance Alok Puri (IPS), Dr. Koshal Kumar Sharma, SSP Vigliance Jammu for not registering FIR under Section 5(2) PC Act against former Minister for Housing, Horticulture, Culture and Youth Services and Sports, J&K Government besides Ram Pal Sharma, former incharge Managing Director J&K Housing Board, presently Secretary, J&K Housing Board, Jammu into Rs.27.60 crore scam in J&K Housing Board, took a new turn on Thursday with the filing of a fresh status report.
The report, filed by Inspector General of Police, SVO, Alok Puri (IPS) in the State High Court states that vide communication No.HUD/LIT/68-AF/2014 dated July, 5, 2016 the Housing and Urban Development Department, J&K Government had forwarded the copy of the 3-Member Inquiry Report, submitted by the Committee constituted vide Govt. Order No.178-HUD of 2015 dated July, 14, 2015 to the SVO for in-depth probe.
The IGP stated that the report of the Inquiry Committee revealed administrative lapses and procedural deviations, besides pointing out that precious reserves of the J&K Housing Board had been depleted arbitrarily by overstepping the mandate and jurisdiction without any plan/provisions for augmenting the loss as reflected in paras 15 and 16 of the report.
According to the status report, however, the report of the committee has not made any comments regarding favoritism, conferring of undue pecuniary advantage to the blue eyed contractors as alleged in the complaint.
“Therefore, in order to verify these points for ascertaining the criminality which would attract the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, a verification has been ordered into the matter by the State Vigilance Organization”, the report stated.
The IGP Vigilance in his status report has expressed his concern that the Housing and Urban Development Department has only forwarded the inquiry report of the Committee without any Action Taken Report (ATR) or the recommendations in light of the inquiry report. The status report further says that in the concluding para of the inquiry report, the committee has observed that prescribed guidelines have not been exercised at any level during the execution of these works. “The responsibility/duties associated with the offices of Managing Director, FA/CAO, DGM’s, Technical Officers have not been discharged diligently’, it added. The IGP Vigilance has also submitted that after going through the inquiry report which was not accompanied with Action Taken Report (ATR), the SVO has again taken up the matter with the Commissioner/Secretary to Government of J&K, Housing and Urban Development to communicate Vigilance Organization regarding action taken on the findings of the inquiry committee, as reflected in the report.