Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 17: In a significant development in Rs 27 crore scam in J&K Housing Board, the Financial Commis-sioner Housing and Urban Development Department has informed the High Court that department will withhold promotions of two officers.
In the Action Taken Report (ATR) filed today pursuant to the directions of the Division Bench dated February 22, 2018, it has been mentioned that H&UDD has decided to impose a major penalty of withholding promotions of former Managing Director J&K Housing Board Ram Pal Sharma (presently attached with Housing and Urban Development Department) and the then DGM Aftab Rashid Pandit as the enquiry officer M Raju, the then Commissioner JMC in his detailed report has indicted these two officers for undertaking works without budgetary provisions.
In the enquiry report, it has also been mentioned that these two officers along with the then FA/CAO Kulbushan Kumar failed to follow codal formalities and there were procedural lapses at all levels during the execution of works in J&K Housing Board.
The ATR has been filed through Advocate General in the much publicized Public Interest Litigation titled Sheikh Mohd Shafi & Anr V/s Union of India & Ors wherein the petitioners are seeking the prosecution of the tainted officers involved in various scams in State of J&K.
With regard to Joginder Lal, the then DGM Housing Board Jammu, Tarsem Lal, the then DGM Housing Board Jammu, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, the then DGM Housing Board Srinagar and G H Khanday, the then DGM Housing Board Srinagar, who were on deputation to Housing Board from R&B during the execution of works, it has been mentioned in the ATR that the draft charge sheets were forwarded to Commissioner Secretary (R&B) Department with the request to serve the same upon the delinquent officers and the PWD (R&B) Secretary has already served the charge sheets upon the delinquent officers vide communication No.PW (R&B) HRM/43/2016-Vig dated 11-05-2017.
Regarding Kulbushan Kumar, the then FA/CAO J&K Housing Board, who was on deputation to Housing Board from Director General Accounts and Treasuries, the draft charge sheet was forwarded to DG Accounts and Treasuries, who served the same upon Kulbushan Kumar vide communication No.DGAK/CAE- 71/23 dated 23-01-2017.
As per the ATR, Kulbushan Kumar had submitted his reply to the charge sheet on January 31, 2017 and the Housing and Urban Development Department has written to the DG Accounts and Treasuries for communicating the latest status of the case.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel