Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 1: The High Court has sought report from the Government on status of drinking water in Handwara areas of Kupwara district where crores of rupees were misappropriated by the officials of PHE department in water supply scheme under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).
The drinking water scheme project was carried under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) for Handwara area of Kupwara district but the amount which was to be incurred on the scheme was embezzled by the officials of PHE department due to which the project was not completed.
The multi-crore embezzlement of public exchequer was unearthed in PHE department of Handwara Division way back in the year 2014 and immediately a PIL was filed before the Court seeking probe into the scam and booking of the erring officials.
Hearing public interest litigation about much publicized multi-crore scam in PHE division Handwara in which various employees from the rank of Executive Engineer to Junior Engineer are under suspension and are facing trial, the division bench of Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey directed the authorities to submit a report indicating whether the drinking water has now been made available to the people or not.
Apart from investigation conducted by the Crime Branch in the scam, Commissioner / Secretary to Government, Irrigation and Flood Control and PHE Department was earlier directed to report the court about the departmental enquiry initiated against the delinquent officials involved in the scam.
It may be mentioned here that approximately Rs 45 crores of money has been swindled, which was meant for the scheme launched under NRDWP to provide the drinking water to people of district Handwara and its adjoining hilly areas.
Investigation conducted by the Crime Branch has been completed and resulted into filing of final report before the competent court of law for initiation of proceedings against the wrongdoers in accordance with law.
In compliance of earlier Court directions, the department of Public Health Engineering has placed its 16 officials from the rank of Executive Engineer to Junior Engineer under suspension as they were found involved in irregularities and embezzlement of crores of rupees NRDWP scandal.
The suspension order of these officers added that the matter being of utmost public importance and Division Bench of High Court is very closely monitoring this aspect on regular basis.
“These officers have remained posted in the division, so their role needs to be enquired into and necessitate their detachment from the active duties by invoking of Rule 31 J&K CSR for a fair and impartial enquiry”, suspension order further read.
In this connection records seized by the CB has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory to seek the scientific opinion regarding involvement of accused persons in the scam.
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