*Finance, R&B Deptts trying to ‘shield’ FA, 4 XEns
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 19: In the much publicized Rs 27 crore worth liability in the J&K Housing Board created due to execution of various works under the political pressure during the previous National Conference-Congress regime, Housing and Urban Development Department has ordered departmental enquiry against the then Managing Director and Deputy General Manager of the Board. However, the Finance and Roads and Buildings Departments are trying to shield the accused Financial Advisor and four Executive Engineers by not extending necessary cooperation to the Housing and Urban Development Department.
The liability worth Rs 27 crore was created by the accused officials on the directions of the then Minister for Housing in the National Conference-Congress Coalition Government as various works were executed without approval of the competent authority.
Following much hue and cry over this ‘scam’, the Housing and Urban Development Department constituted a three-member committee vide Order No.178-HUD of 2015 dated July 14, 2015, which established that works were carried out by the Housing Board without approval of works plan as a result of which the financial reserves of the Board got depleted. It was also explicitly mentioned that prescribed guidelines were not followed at any level during the execution of Rs 27.60 crore worth works and the responsibilities/duties associated with the officers of Managing Director, Financial Advisor, Deputy General Managers (DGMs) and Technical Officers were not discharged diligently.
Accordingly, the Commissioner/Secretary to Government, Housing and Urban Development Department Hiresh Kumar Singh initiated departmental proceedings against the delinquent officers and officials and in the month of November last year charge-sheets were served upon all the erring officers. While charge-sheets to the then MD of the Housing Board and presently Secretary and DGM (Executive Engineer) were served directly by the Housing Department, the charge-sheets in respect of Financial Advisor and four Executive Engineers were served through Finance and R&B Departments as these five officials were on deputation to Housing Board from these two departments.
“I have received the replies to the charge-sheet from the then MD and DGM but the same are not to my satisfaction as such I have decided to proceed further as per the provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956”, Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Housing and Urban Development Department Hirdesh Kumar Singh told EXCELSIOR when contacted.
Now, the Housing and Urban Development Department Secretary has ordered departmental enquiry to be conducted by Commissioner of Jammu Municipal Corporation M Raju within a period of one month. “The enquiry officer has been explicitly told to complete the task within the stipulated time-frame so that proceedings under Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules are taken to the logical conclusion”, Hirdesh Kumar Singh said.
When asked about fate of chargesheets served to Financial Advisor and 4 Executive Engineers, who were also instrumental in creating Rs 27 crore worth liability, the Commissioner /Secretary said, “I have not received any communication from Finance and R&B Departments as to whether the accused officers have responded to the chargesheets or they have chosen to ignore it”, adding “I have even sent a number of reminders to these departments but have not received any response from their side”.
“It seems that Finance and R&B Departments are trying to shield the accused officers otherwise they should have obtained reply to the chargesheets and then forwarded the same to the Administrative Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Department”, official sources said, adding “by not extending cooperation to the Housing and Urban Development Department these two departments are creating obstacles in punishing the erring officers and officials”.
In the meanwhile, questions are being raised over initiation of departmental enquiry especially when a three-member committee of the Housing and Urban Development Department has already established that works worth Rs 27 crore were undertaken without any budgetary provision thereby depleting the financial reserves of the Board which were meant for the welfare of the employees like salaries, pensions and other benefits to the serving and retired employees of the Board.
It was also established by the three member committee that funds were released to the Engineering Sections/ Divisions by the Accounts Section without following requisite codal formalities.
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