Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 12: The High Court today warned the officials of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) of contempt proceedings in case they fail to file status report regarding removal of toilets and latrines which are existing on river banks, nallahs, streams and tributaries in Handwara where crores of rupees were swindled.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sanjeev Kumar expressed its serious concern for not filing the report as per previous court directions with regard to removal of those toilets and latrines which are existing on river banks, nallahs, streams and tributaries.
Observing that the Court will initiate contempt proceedings against all the concerned officials as it is a matter of serious concern as these water bodies are main source of drinking water for consumption of the inhabitants of the State.
The authorities were directed earlier to submit the status report indicating therein the number and locations of all the toilets/latrines which have been identified on the banks of all nallahs, rivers, streams and tributaries.
The instant PIL was filed after multi-crore embezzlement of public exchequer was unearthed in PHE department of Handwara division way back in 2014 and immediately a PIL was filed before the Court seeking probe into the scam and bringing to book the erring officials.
The Public Health Engineering Department is also supposed to apprise the Court about the process and details of disciplinary action taken against the erring officials of the department, who were involved in the scam.
FIR in the scam has been registered at police station Handwara after the scam surfaced in PHE department of Handwara division way back in the year 2014.
The drinking water scheme in Handwara division was carried out under National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP) but the amount which was to be incurred on the said scheme was embezzled by the officials of PHE department due to which the project has not been completed and today extending the scope of the PIL, the Court directed for appraisal of other water schemes in the Valley from the CE.
It may be mentioned here that approximately Rs 45 crores has been swindled and the money was meant for the scheme launched under NRDWP to provide the drinking water to the people of district Handwara and its adjoining hilly areas.
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