*Action Plan sought for recovery of
money in approved cases
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 7: More startling revelations have come to the fore during the scrutiny of much hyped Roshni Scheme record by the Public Accounts Committee of the State Legislature so far. Under the garb of the Rules, which are not in consonance with the J&K State Land (Vesting of Ownerships to the Occupants) Act, concessions worth several crores of rupees were given to several bigwigs across the State thereby causing huge loss to the exchequer besides defeating the purpose behind floating of this scheme.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Public Accounts Committee headed by Abdul Haq Khan, while scrutinizing the tehsil-wise details of the Roshni Scheme furnished by the Deputy Commissioners, has noticed that instead of ensuring strict adherence to Section 12 of the J&K State Land (Vesting of Ownerships to the Occupants) Act, the concerned authorities gave preference to the Rules of the Scheme for obvious reasons.
“The Section 12 clearly states that prevailing market rate should be considered while working out the cost of the land to be regularized under the Roshni Scheme but the Rules prepared by the Government give concessions and rebates that too more than once”, sources said.
The Public Accounts Committee has noticed that concessions ranging between 25% to 50% were given under various parameters laid down in the Rules despite the fact that there was no scope for the same under the Act. It has also been noticed that under the Rules further concessions were given by fixing the timeframe for making the payment in the approved cases.
For making payment within a period of three months rebate of 25% was given while as for making the payment within six months concessions of 15% were given in the approved cases. Similarly, rebate of 5% for making payment within 9 months and 2% for making the payment within one year was given in blatant violation of the Act, sources informed.
Quoting an instance of concessions, sources said, “the House Panel has noticed that a millionaire belonging to Srinagar district was given rebate of Rs 3 crore”, adding the cost of the land under the illegal possession of this particular person was worked out at Rs 4.32 crore out of which concession of Rs 3 crore was given at the cost of the State exchequer.
Stating that Roshni Scheme has turned out to be biggest ever scam in Jammu and Kashmir causing enormous loss to the State exchequer, sources said, “it has been noticed by the PAC that major benefit of the scheme has been obtained by the bigwigs across Jammu and Kashmir”.
“What to talk of concessions even the full amount in the approved cases was not realized from the beneficiaries of the scheme”, they said quoting the findings of the House Panel. This can be gauged from the fact that against total Rs 375 crore recoverable in the approved cases of Kashmir valley, an amount of only Rs 76 crore was realized by the concerned authorities. Similarly, in Jammu region against Rs 77 crore recoverable in the approved cases, only an amount of Rs 15.75 crore was recovered.
The PAC, which met here this morning, on the basis of these findings directed Secretary, Department of Law to study the Act and the Rules in detail and give opinion whether the Rules framed by the Government are in consonance with the Act enacted by the Legislature, sources informed, adding “Law Secretary has been asked to complete this task before next meeting of the House Panel”.
Similarly, the concerned authorities were directed to explain the reasons behind inordinate delay in recovery of entire amount in the approved rates and submit the Action Plan, if any, prepared in this regard, sources informed, adding “the Public Accounts Committee has also directed all the 22 Deputy Commissioners to submit case-wise details so that beneficiaries of Roshni Scheme could be identified”.
Moreover, the Deputy Commissioners have been directed to apprise the House Panel about the reasons behind different rates for the land in a particular Khasra Number in the next meeting, which will be attended by all the 22 Deputy Commissioners and both the Divisional Commissioners.
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