*Explanation sought from Revenue Deptt on glaring issues
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 21: Substantiating the observations made by the Principal Accountant General (PAG) about the much-hyped Roshni Scheme, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the State Legislature has noticed that the scheme was misused at various levels for extending undue benefits upon the occupants of the State land. The House Panel has raised numerous queries and sought replies from the Revenue Department before next meeting, which will be held in the first week of July.
Meanwhile, one more Deputy Commissioner has furnished details of Roshni Scam to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of State Vigilance Organization while as Deputy Commissioners of Udhampur, Budgam and Srinagar continued to remain reluctant to furnish the requisite record to the Vigilance Organization despite explicit and repeated directions from the High Court.
Sources told EXCELSIOR that Public Accounts Committee of State Legislature headed by MLA Abdul Haq Khan, which met few days back, noticed that the Roshni Scheme was abused by the bureaucrats at different level in order to confer undue benefits upon the illegal occupants of the State land. It has also observed that Rules of the Roshni Scheme are contradictory to the principal legislation—J&K State Land (Vesting of Ownerships to the Occupants) Act.
“In blatant violation of the principal Act, the concerned authorities have given concessions and rebates of 60% under the garb of Rules in order to provide undue benefit to large number of illegal occupants of the State land”, sources said quoting the observations of the House Panel, adding “it was also the observation of the Committee that total money realized under the Roshni Scheme is not in consonance with the total land regularized in favour of the occupants as if they (the officers) were in the mood of making donations”.
Disclosing that Public Accounts Committee has raised numerous queries to be answered by the Revenue Department before its next meeting and sought tehsil wise information with regard to the applications received and disposed off, sources said, “the House Panel has particularly sought to know the reasons behind keeping the provision of rebate/concession especially when the Government had planned to utilize the money generated by the scheme in generating more electricity for the State”.
“Moreover, it has also sought to know the parameters of extending concession/rebate in the light of the fact that concession varied from case to case”, sources further said, adding “the Revenue Department has also been asked to apprise the House Panel about the officers who were given powers to give concessions to the occupants of State land while conferring ownership rights”.
Sources said that House Panel would meet again in the first week of July to examine the replies of the Revenue Department to the numerous queries raised during the deliberations.
“All is not well with the implementation of scheme”, remarked a member of the House Committee wishing anonymity.
Legislators Rafi Ahmed Mir, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, Jehangir Hussain Mir and Dr Shanaz Ganai were among those who attended the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Pulwama furnished details of Roshni Scam to the State Vigilance Organization while as Deputy Commissioners of Udhampur, Srinagar and Budgam continued to remain reluctant to submit the record despite numerous directions from the State High Court.
“Following the latest direction of the Division Bench dated June 10, 2014, Deputy Commissioner Pulwama submitted some record and the same is being examined by the Special Investigation Team”, a senior officer of the State Vigilance Organization said, adding “there are possibilities of SIT lodging FIR as discrepancies are coming to the fore during the examination of the record”.
In reply to a question, he disclosed that Deputy Commissioners of Udhampur, Srinagar and Budgam have not submitted even a single file till date. “Let’s see what would be their response till the latest time-frame granted by the High Court is over within next some days”, he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Deputy Commissioners of these districts are not only required to furnish the record to the Special Investigation Teams but also file compliance report before the High Court before next date of hearing.
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