Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 8: In the dock for sleeping over the matter for several years, the State Government has finally set in motion the process of according sanction for prosecution of ‘corrupt’ officers and in the first instance it has given clearance in three cases involving senior officers while as remaining cases were under examination for final decision.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that out of 12 cases under examination in the General Administration Department (GAD) since long, decision has been taken on the State Vigilance Organization’s requests for prosecution sanction in respect of four cases involving nine officers including two KAS that too following the directives of the Division Bench of State High Court in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
In respect of KAS officer Babu Ram against whom the Vigilance Organization had registered FIR No.22 in 2009 for allegedly making illegal appointments of Chander Rekha as Anganwari worker and Anara Devi as Helper in Social Welfare Department in Doda district during his posting as Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), the Government has declined prosecution sanction, sources informed while disclosing that this decision was taken on the basis of comments received from the Social Welfare Department.
It is worthwhile to mention here that representation of officer against the allegations was referred to the Social Welfare Department by the General Administration Department on October 12, 2011 for comments and the same were furnished recently after several reminders issued on December 15, 2011, March 9, 2012 and May 17, 2012.
In the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case against KAS officer Ghulam Hassan Wani, the then Joint Registrar Cooperative (Audit) Kashmir, who was booked by the Vigilance Organization vide FIR No.17 of 2010, the Government has given sanction for prosecution, sources said, adding the case against the KAS officer was processed after receiving the requisite case diary on May 22, 2012.
The sanction for prosecution has also been given in the Vigilance Organization FIR No.19 of 2009 whereby Ghulam Hyder Bhat, then Director Agriculture Kashmir, Noor-ud-Din Wani, then District Agriculture Officer and Bashir Ahmad Mir, then CAO were booked for purchase of Sudan hybrid grass seeds on exorbitant rates, sources said.
Similarly, Government has also accorded sanction to the prosecution of Showkat Hussain Wani, then District Agriculture Officer (Inputs), Kupwara, Ghulam Mohammad Sofi, then Head Assistant of the Office of District Agriculture Officer (Inputs), Kashmir, Ghulam Hassan Lone, then Senior Assistant of the office of District Agriculture Officer (Inputs), Kupwara and Mohammad Akbar Wani, then Storekeeper of the office of District Agriculture Officer (Inputs), Kupwara, sources said.
These officers were booked by the Vigilance Organization vide FIR No.24 of 2008, sources said while disclosing that these officers were involved in purchase of Sudan hybrid grass seeds on exorbitant rates.
In response to a question, sources said, “the remaining eight cases are under examination and decision on the same would be taken within another fortnight in order to avoid stern action from the State High Court, which on August 28 had directed the Government to take decision on the prosecution sanctions within a period of one month”, sources said.
About the officers and officials of SIDCO and SICOP against whom Vigilance Organization had sought prosecution sanction several years back, sources said, “the Managing Directors of these Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) are responsible for the same as decision on the same has to be taken by the Board of Directors of these PSUs and it is not known whether the MDs ever placed these cases before the respective Board of Directors”.
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