STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The State Vigilance Commission on Wednesday summoned the Vice Chairman of Jammu Development Authority (JDA), Mubarak Singh, over alleged illegal allotment of JDA land to some hotel owners, who raised buildings on them.
The Commission expressed concern over “illegal allotment” of JDA land to private persons – and subsequent construction on it during a former VC’s tenure and summoned Mubarak Singh, SVC spokesman said.
Earlier, one Kanti Lal petitioned the Commission against a former VC JDA and other officials alleging that they had illegally allotted land to some hotel owners in Jammu and Bari Brahmana.
He also alleged the officers had taken “gratification” from the hotel owners for allowing them to raise illegal constructions on the plot.
The Commission took cognisance of the complaint and sought a report from JDA, which was submitted on Wednesday.
The report prima facie brings out a series of alleged lacunae on the part of the then JDA VC and officials in exercising their administrative powers.
Also, the former JDA VC had got a JDA plot at Trikuta Nagar registered in the name of his wife in an arbitrary manner, the spokesman said citing the report.
Besides, he purchased a JCB machine worth Rs 4.5 lakhs without going for open tenders, issued NOC in violation of government instructions in this regard, he said.
The officials also facilitated encroachment over JDA land near Fruit Mandi Jammu and illegally permitted a private person to raise a shopping complex there, resulting in huge loss to the State exchequer, he said.
The Commission has ordered initiation of departmental and legal action against all involved, he said.
It has also directed the VC JDA to get the encroached land retrieved and file a compliance report before it on the next date of hearing.
It is pertinent to mention that all most every VC of JDA has corruption cases or cases of irregularities to their credit , while one was indicted in allotment of JDA sites illegally to influential persons in Bahu Plaza, other for allotment of more than 200 pieces of JDA land or allotment of two pieces of land for hotel and then approving the blue prints of the joint plots even without taking Building Permission fee but all of them are still living peaceful retired life with an affront to vigilance and other law enforcing agencies.
