Complaints about functionaries, functioning of JAKFED
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 9: In the much-publicized complaints of irregularities in the JAKFED, the Enquiry Officer (Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Pardeep Gupta) has sought two more months’ time and assistance of two senior level officers from the Government to complete the probe and arrive at a plausible conclusion.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that one month time given by the Government to the Divisional Commissioner to enquire into the complaints pertaining to the functionaries and functioning of JAKFED expired today but the Enquiry Officer could not reach any conclusion because of huge exercise required to be carried out before finalizing the report.
“Soon after entrusting enquiry to the Divisional Commissioner, the General Administration Department had forwarded numerous complaints vis-à-vis irregularities in the JAKFED for detailed scrutiny by the Enquiry Officer”, sources said, adding “after going through each and every complaint, the Divisional Commissioner had sought relevant record from the JAKFED and the same was handed over to Enquiry Officer today”.
“Now, the record pertaining to each and every complaint and cuttings of reports about JAKFED functioning carried out by different newspapers are required to be sifted carefully in order to reach a plausible conclusion”, sources said, adding “since mammoth exercise is yet to be conducted, the Divisional Commissioner has written to the General Administration Department seeking two more months’ time to complete the probe and submit the report”.
Besides extension in time, the Enquiry Officer has also sought the assistance of two senior level officers for expeditious completion of enquiry and reaching at conclusion vis-à-vis complaints of different nature, sources informed, adding “as the allegations and complaints pertain to grave irregularities in JAKFED, the Government is likely to consider the request of Divisional Commissioner within a day or two”.
Admitting that there were numerous complaints of irregularities against only two officers—then Managing Director, Ravinder Gupta and General Manager, Girdhari Lal Abrol, sources said, “this is not an enquiry where the specific points have to be looked into. Rather this is a fact finding enquiry during which each and every complaint has to be put to scrutiny and cross-checked with the official record before arriving at any conclusion”.
In response to a question, sources said, “the possibility of involvement of some more officials surfacing during the course of enquiry cannot be ruled out”. “While seeking two more months’ time to accomplish the task assigned to him, the Divisional Commissioner has explained in detail the reasons behind the same”, they added.
The complaints which the Government has received from different quarters pertain to irregularities in purchase and transportation of cement and mode of payment to the agency. The complaints are also related to transportation of fertilizer, distribution of LPG and other commodities including mode of sale and purchase of NAFED tea and system and methodology adopted for fixation of rent of shops and outlets hired by JAKFED.
It is worthwhile to mention here that the enquiry into the complaints of irregularities against the then MD of JAKFED, Ravinder Gupta was first ordered to be conducted by a Committee of officers. Later, the enquiry was entrusted to Divisional Commissioner and MD as well as General Manager were directed to report to the office of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu.
The General Manager had also knocked the doors of the High Court following the initiation of enquiry and his attachment but the Court declined to grant stay.
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