Many engineering graduates engaged without transparent procedure
Commission orders inspection of entire record, seeks report
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 23: Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), which is already under the scanner of the Government for committing various irregularities and financial indiscipline, has concealed facts regarding engagement of hundreds of persons including engineering graduates from the State Information Commission (SIC).
Moreover, the Corporation has submitted contradictory replies to the State High Court and transparency watchdog thereby giving credence to the general observation that it has become an organization which is difficult to be revamped.
In the month of July 2018, an application under Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act was filed with the Public Information Officer, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) seeking information on six points particularly about the persons engaged by the Corporation and the criteria adopted for the same.
Not satisfied with the information provided by the PIO, the appellate filed first appeal with the First Appellate Authority, which, however, was not disposed of within the statutory period. This compelled the appellant to knock the doors of the State Information Commission by filing second appeal.
Stating that the information which was provided by the PIO was evasive, non-specific and misleading, the appellant submitted before the Information Commission that though the Corporation has admitted that a number of engineering graduates have been engaged as trainee engineers but it has not specifically submitted as to under which schemes these engineers were engaged and subsequently brought on regular establishment.
It was further submitted before the Commission that in a writ petition filed in the High Court the Corporation has submitted that more than 900 casual labourers have been engaged while as in the information provided in response to RTI application only 590 persons have been shown as engaged. “There is no response to the other points raised in the RTI request”, the appellant said.
On this, the Information Commission on December 28, 2018 directed the PIO to furnish complete information to the appellant clarifying the issues raised by him. However, there was no compliance to the interim order of the Commission and the same was viewed seriously by the transparency watchdog when the appeal came up for final hearing few days back.
“The PIO is directed to furnish revised reply/information to the appellant clarifying therein as to under which scheme trainee engineers were engaged and what criteria was adopted for their selection”, the State Information Commissioner Mohammad Ashraf Mir said in the order, adding “the PIO shall also clarify as to why only 590 casual labourers were shown to have been engaged when the Corporation had itself indicated more than 900 casual labourers having been engaged in the reply filed before the High Court”.
The order further read: The PIO shall also clarify as to why one person was shown to have been appointed as Company Secretary between the year 2000 and 2015 while other appointments made during that period have not been reflected in the reply provided to the appellant.
“Besides clarifying these appointments, the PIO shall also afford an opportunity to the appellant to inspect the record. In this regard, the PIO shall contact the appellant and fix a date to facilitate the inspection of record”, the Information Commission said while directing the PIO to file compliance report within two weeks from the receipt of this order in regard to the furnishing of revised information to the appellant.
The facts about engagement of large number of persons including engineering graduates and casual labourers have been concealed from the State Information Commission at a time when the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation is already under the scanner of the State Government for committing various irregularities and financial indiscipline.
The Government vide Order No.1690-GAD dated November 28, 2018 had constituted a Fact Finding Committee to look into the affairs of the JKPCC.
The mandate of the committee is to look into the manner of awarding contracts to the contractors often on a nomination basis and without following transparent tendering procedures; diverting funds from one project to another leading to a large number of incomplete projects; irregularities in appointments at various levels including that of the Managing Director; inefficiency in functioning and huge time and cost overruns in projects implementation and reasons of estimates for construction being much higher than those of Public Works Department.
Though the Fact Finding Committee was supposed to submit its report/recommendations to the Government by December 26, 2018 yet it has failed to complete the assigned task till date.
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