Govt sets into motion exercise to ascertain facts, fix responsibility

Over 100 engaged in SIDCO, SICOP without transparent procedure
Powers misused to accommodate blue-eyed persons
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 4: Governor’s Administration has set into motion an exercise to bring facts to the fore about the engagement of over 100 persons in the State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO) and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (SICOP) allegedly without adopting any transparent procedure, which has raised many questions vis-à-vis accountability in these two Public Sector Undertakings of the State.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that since 2015-16 more than 100 persons have been engaged in the SICOP and SIDCO by the previous Managing Directors without adopting any transparent procedure and on the pretext of executing some schemes and projects in view of insufficient manpower in these Corporations.
“While several persons were engaged on consolidated, regular, contractual, casual and adhoc basis purely on the instructions of the politicians and bureaucrats others were provided temporary employment directly by those who remained on the posts of Managing Directors of these Corporations since 2015-16”, sources said.
They disclosed that maximum number of such persons have been engaged in the SICOP, which otherwise has earned the notoriety for being corruption ridden Corporation and is already under the scanner of the State Vigilance Organization for committing various other irregularities.
According to the sources, large number of engaged persons particularly those who had good relations with the then Managing Directors of these Corporations or other senior officers were rarely reporting for the duties but still they were getting remuneration regularly.
If there was actually the need of additional manpower for the implementation of Centrally and State sponsored schemes and projects, the Managing Directors of these Corporations should have written to the Government for deployment of officers and officials from Government departments, sources said, adding had this been done the financial burden on the exchequer of these Corporations could have been easily avoided.
“Even if there was requirement of engagement of persons on daily wage, consolidated, contractual and need basis the same should have been done by formally inviting applications and putting selection criteria in public domain”, they further said, adding “the engagement of over 100 persons that too without following any transparent procedure was made at a time when financial health of SIDCO and SICOP was not up to the expectations of the Government”.
It is pertinent to mention here that the issue was also raised by some MLAs in the Legislative Assembly last year and in response to their queries the then Minister for Industries and Commerce had in a written reply furnished the names of the engaged persons, their parentage and address besides authority who had engaged such workers. However, the information about selection criteria and other vital aspects was concealed from the Legislative Assembly.
The then Minister had simply mentioned that these persons were engaged to execute the projects and schemes in view of insufficient manpower in these Corporations and will be discontinued on completion of the schemes/projects as per the terms and conditions as envisaged in their engagement orders.
“However, till date none of these engaged persons has been disengaged and they are still getting the hefty remuneration. Moreover, in case of some favourite persons even next higher grades of salary have been released”, sources informed.
When these persons were engaged the financial health of the Corporations was not good and this is evident from the figures which reveal that the income of SIDCO during 2016-17 financial year was Rs 26,67,81,000 while as expenditure was Rs 31,13,15,000 as a result of which it recorded loss of Rs 4,45,34,000.
Similarly, the income of SICOP during 2016-17 was Rs 27,57,00,000 while as its expenditure was Rs 24,66,00,000 thereby registering profit of only Rs 2,91,00,000, which otherwise was too meagre.
When contacted, Principal Secretary to Government, Industries and Commerce Department Shaleen Kabra said, “I too have received complaints in this regard not only about SIDCO and SICOP but other Corporations also”. He added: “An exercise has been set into motion to ascertain the facts and fix responsibility in case of wrongdoings”.

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