Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 5: The High Court today directed the Authorities to report compliance to the court with regard to release of funds for execution of approved works under Constituency Development Fund scheme for 35 hamlets in South Kashmir.
Court previously had directed the District Development Commissioner (DDC) Anantnag to release the funds for execution of the approved works strictly according to the rules and after fulfillment of codal formalities in this regard.
Advocate Rizwan-u-Zaman today informed the Court that the authority concerned (DDC) has not released the funds despite Court direction as also no objections have been filed to the plea till date.
Petitioner was also asked that in case there is any legal hindrance, then he shall be informed in this regard in writing.
Petitioner- Bashir Ahmad Veeri approached the Court that as per rules he was allotted funds under the Constituency Development Fund scheme in the capacity of MLC as has been allotted to other members of the Council and Assembly in the financial year 2016-17.
He submitted that it is due to turmoil in the year 2016 he was in a position to complete the paper work and the amount could not be spent neither the development works could be identified by him for the reasons beyond the control of him.
He, however, with the restoration of normalcy to some extent in the Kashmir valley started the process of identification of public works on the basis of priority public interest so that the funds allotted under the Constituency Development Fund scheme could be utilized in the best interest of the public.
It is further contended that he has been able to complete development works of only up to Rs 48. 23 lakhs for the amount has been released by the respondents to the concerned agencies executing the works.
“However due to the reasons mentioned, the entire amount allotted to the petitioner for the year 2016-17 could not be utilized in the year 2016 due to the unrest in Kashmir”, read the petition.
Advocate Rizwan on behalf of Veeri submitted the detailed list of the works identified for the execution under constituency development funds in the petitioner’s constituency and the list was submitted along with all other documents and formalities to the authority concerned and they had to only approve the same.
That on March, 8 last year following news reports that Election Commission of India has decided to fill up vacant Lok Sabha seats from Anantnag and Srinagar, Model Code of Conduct, the petitioner approached the District Development Commissioner for grant of administrative approval.
The ECI announced election and following the deferment, the petitioner again approached the DDC that since the term of the petitioner as MLC is going to expire on April 19, 2017, the petitioner recommended projects has hanged for no fault of him and some way out may be explored for grant of approval to the pending files in the larger interest of public who are beneficiaries of these schemes.
The matter went to Chief Minister who after threadbare discussion approved the file and Deputy Commissioner cleared the files and accorded administrative approval but petitioner submitted the DDC issued verbal instructions on October 22 to stop execution of the works and withdrew all files from the office.
He sought directions from the court that District Development Commissioner Anantnag be directed to allow the execution of the works on spot in terms of the administrative approval granted to the works in the constituency of the petitioner strictly as per the guidelines.
He also prayed that the DDC concerned be directed to release the amount from the Constituency Development Fund of the petitioner in respect of the works identified by him in his constituency.
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