Finance, R&B Deptts not showing interest in punishing FA, 4 XEns
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 14: The departmental inquiry into Rs 27 crore worth ‘scam’ in the J&K Housing Board has finally concluded with Inquiry Officer holding the then Managing Director and Deputy General Manager responsible for grave financial irregularities and procedural deviations which led to depletion of financial reserves of the Board.
Now, process has been set into motion for initiation of appropriate action against these two officers of the J&K Housing Board. However, the Finance and Roads and Buildings Departments have been creating obstacles in punishing their officers who were on deputation to Housing Board and were equally responsible for creation of liability of Rs 27 crore on the political pressure.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that IAS officer M Raju, who was appointed Inquiry Officer by the then Administrative Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Department Hirdesh Kumar Singh as per the provisions of Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules in the month of June this year, recently submitted his report for necessary action.
The Inquiry Officer has virtually endorsed the findings of the three-member committee which was constituted Vide Order No.178-HUD of 2015 dated July 14, 2015. Like the three-member committee the Inquiry Officer M Raju has also established that works were carried out by the Housing Board without approval of plan as a result of which the financial reserves of the Board got depleted.
It has also been 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 offices of Managing Director, Financial Advisor, Deputy General Managers (DGMs) and Technical Officers were not discharged diligently.
“The Inquiry Officer has also pointed out that several works were executed by the delinquent officers in those areas which were not part of the jurisdiction of the Board”, sources said, adding even administrative approval was not taken in this regard thereby establishing that the main objective of the erring officers was to appease the then Minister for Housing.
However, the Inquiry Officer has not made any recommendation vis-a-vis the action required to be taken against the delinquent officers, sources said, adding “it seems that he wanted the Administrative Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department to take decision in this regard after examining his findings”.
They informed that the Administrative Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, in the absence of any recommendation from the Inquiry Officer, has obtained the legal opinion and finally it has been decided that action can be taken against former Managing Director Ram Pal and Deputy General Manager Aftab Rashid Pandit under Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules as their guilt has been established by the Inquiry Officer in his findings.
When asked about the action, sources said, “as the Inquiry Officer has established that works were executed on ground although in blatant violation of the rules, the Administrative Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department would have the option of ordering demotion or withholding of increment of the these two erring officers”, sources said, adding “even making adverse remarks in the APRs would be considered by the Administrative Secretary”.
“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”, sources said.
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 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.
However, till date no information has been furnished by the concerned authorities of these two departments. “It seems that Finance and R&B Departments are trying to shield the accused officers otherwise they should have obtained reply to the charge-sheets 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”.
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