*Case handed over to SVC, SVO for FIR
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 12: The Principal Auditor General of India has pointed out irregularities, which might run into several hundreds of crores in just eight districts of the State alone, which have been audited so far under the Roshni scheme. The PAG of India has submitted his findings of the audit immediately to the State Government, which referred the entire scam to the State Vigilance Commission (SVC).
“After going through the irregularities, the SVC prime-facie found large scale bungling in Roshni scheme with involvement of senior officers of the administration including the Deputy Commissioners, which have been pointed out by the Principal Auditor General in his report submitted to the State Government. The SVC has directed the State Vigilance Organisation to initiate legal action after registering a First Information Report (FIR) in the case,’’ official sources told the Excelsior.
Different modus operandi had been used by the then Deputy Commissioners of eight districts including Jammu, Samba, Udhampur and Kathua in Jammu region and Srinagar and Budgam in Kashmir region, to dupe the State exchequer and extend benefits running into several hundreds of crores to land mafia, businessmen, political leaders and other influential persons apart for themselves.
“Those who allotted the land under Roshni scheme…those who fixed the charges…those who deliberately allowed the beneficiaries to delay the payment worth crores beyond the prescribed limit…those who showed commercial land as residential and residential land as agriculture…those who overruled the rate of land fixed by no less a authority than the Divisional Commissioner…those who approved two rates of land in one locality…are all accused in the case.
“The accused included the Deputy Commissioners at the helm of affairs at the time of scam and down below. There would be a large number of accused in all eight districts when the FIR is lodged and officers involved in the scam identified,’’ sources said declining to give exact figures of losses caused to the State exchequer but said it might run into several hundreds of crores of rupees.
Pointing out various instances of irregularities mentioned by the Principal Auditor General, sources said in one of the case, the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu had fixed Rs 5 lakh per kanal rate of the land at a particular place before creation of district Samba from Jammu. After Samba district was carved out of Jammu, the then Deputy Commissioner had fixed rates of the same land at Rs 1 lakh per kanal, thus, extending huge monetary benefits to some influential persons and also gaining himself along with other officials of the Revenue Department dealing with Roshni scheme.
The Principal AG has pointed out various examples in which commercial land was shown as residential while residential land was shown as agriculture to benefit the individuals, who happened to be businessmen, politicians, other influential persons etc. Worthwhile to mention here that agriculture land had zero rates while there was vast difference of rates to be charged for residential and commercial land for conferring rights of land under the Roshni scheme.
In some of the instances, certain influential persons were allowed to make payment for conferring title of land on them under the Roshni scheme. In one of the cases, a businessman was allowed to deposit Rs 2 crores after three years, thus, allowing him to use the money for business purposes or investment in the banks and earn interests on them.
“There were several instances in which delayed payments worth crores were accepted in which the businessmen and other influential persons benefited a lot. The amount might have also been shared with the officials as, otherwise, they wouldn’t have accepted the amount beyond the prescribed date,’’ sources said, adding the delayed acceptance of amount also caused loss to the State exchequer. Further, they added, the officials had no powers to accept the amount beyond the limit prescribed under the Roshni Act.
In another case of irregularity, the officials had fixed two different prices for one locality. “The rates were reduced for the locality to give benefits to the favourites,’’ sources said, adding the Principal Auditor General has pointed out this grave irregularity in his report.
Sources said the Principal AG has pointed out some other irregularities in the execution of Roshni scheme that caused losses to the State exchequer worth several crores. The total losses under different frauds committed by the officers in implementation of Roshni scheme might run into several hundreds of crores, they added.
“What was surprising for the Government was the fact that the Principal AG has conducted audit of only eight districts of the State so far. When the audit of all 22 districts was completed some more glaring examples of irregularities could come out and it could turn out to be one of the biggest scam in history of the State,’’ sources said.
Roshni scheme was launched initially during 2001 and activated during the regime of Ghulam Nabi Azad in 2007 and it was estimated to fetch Rs 25,000 crores. However, according to latest figures of the State Government, it has fetched only Rs 76 crores—Rs 53 crores in Kashmir division and Rs 22 crores in Jammu division.
The people had staked claim over 17.86 kanals worth Government land to claim title after making payments. The Government has so far vested ownership rights of 6.05 lakh worth kanals on the people, which would have fetched Rs 316 crores to the State exchequer but the actual amount was just Rs 76 crores.
As per the rules framed under the Roshni scheme, the occupants owning residential structures on State or Nazool land up to 2 kanals were required to pay only 25 percent of the value of the land determined by the departmental committee and 40 percent up to 10 kanals. For authorized overstayed and unauthorized occupants, the rates were fixed at 35 percent and 50 percent of the value of the land.
In commercial category, authorized, authorized overstayed and unauthorized occupants had to pay 30 percent, 45 percent and 60 percent of the value of the land respectively.
In 2007 the then Government reintroduced the scheme in Legislature, fixing a token amount of Rs 100 for up to 100 kanals of agriculture land.
The Government tried to justify the move saying 19 lakh cultivators would get benefited.
The original Roshni Act -J&K State Land (Vesting of ownership to the occupants) Act 2001- was targeted to raise revenue of Rs 25,000 crores that were supposed to be deposited in a special fund for power generation in the State.
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