At the outset, let it be plainly told that the Government needs not to give a pat on its back or for that matter preen itself for having ordered a departmental enquiry against 11 Engineers of the Jal Shakti Department who allegedly scammed huge funds in respect of water supply scheme – Mandrala -Koti in Doda. What has now led to initiation of departmental enquiry against the delinquent Engineers reveals how our system works despite there being adequate number of employees including officers in the Government departments of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir but adequate procedural reforms not made. Thanks to introduction of public reach programmes like “Mulaqat” by the Lieutenant Governor , just by sheer chance of getting an opportunity, a vigilant citizen in early March this year brought into the notice of the Lt. Governor the fact that the said water supply scheme had collapsed right in its infancy due to the fact that Government funds meant to be ”sincerely ” spent on the water scheme were eaten away and swindled by a group of Engineers directly involved in the execution of the water supply scheme in Mandrala in Doda district.
The matter does not end here, the complainants , the local inhabitants etc are reported to have made the scam known earlier also in writing with the office of the concerned authorities which having received no due response let alone any prompt attention from them except ”ordering” some preliminary inquiry conducted followed again by an attempt to have the matter investigated through Anti Corruption Bureau but the matter not handed over to them resulting in happening of nothing concrete in the sensitive matter, is quite baffling . In the meantime, as the time factor in any type of irregular practices and commissioning of frauds is of immense critical importance , out of the total 17 Engineers involved , six are already out having attained superannuation in normal due course as if nothing had happened. A due push to the matter finally was the outcome of raising the matter and conveying it through “Mulaqat” . It thus resulted in , to begin with, surfacing of the scam and people now knowing how funds meant for public utility schemes even like supplying water , frauds for personal illegal gains can take place and for considerable time , strangely but unbelievably, not known by anyone and additionally, the Government having acted now by ordering just a departmental enquiry and nothing beyond.
In this connexion, we have a few pertinent questions to ask which must be clarified as to had a whistle blower and other local inhabitants of Doda not pointed out about virtually aborting the water supply scheme and the scam, there was perhaps, no mechanism in place in the Jal Shakti Department or any other concerned department connected as per the arrangement of the UT administration that would have done stage wise and periodic verification about the scheme’s implementation and ensured austere auditing thereof. Moving out of the cosy environs of office , top officers of UT departments seldom take the initiative to inspect the sites of ongoing projects to see keenly, know eloquently , verify discreetly , enquire thoroughly and advise even recommend suitably about the implementation process especially about how funds were spent. A question of one’s mindset and how one discharged one’s duties. Deviations in these basic principles to pre-empt and even detect irregularity in time not only defeats the very purpose and aim of a public interest scheme but creates ill will against the Government being blamed of inaction and indecision .
Again, as every department, especially the ones looking to implementation of and handling public utility services , is supposed to have one or the other means of an intelligence radar system from within where irregular and corrupt activities indulged in by some employees which are prejudicial to the interests of the general public and against proper implementation and management of public benefit schemes could be detected well in time and action taken against them. Finally, shall the instituted “Departmental Enquiry” be really exhaustive and reports expected from it within 15 days ? Let us just wait and see. Why the case has not been straightaway handed over to the CBI or at least to the J&K Anti Corruption Bureau to set an example of a real seriousness been there in naming, shaming and punishing the guilty plus recovering the defalcated funds from them ? Public trust , it may plainly be stated, gets eroded in the system if it is not active and responsive enough , least not seen increasingly intolerant to the scourge of deep rooted corruption in the administration in Jammu and Kashmir.
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