Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 31: Vigilance Organization today registered cases against officials of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) in Kashmir division for misappropriations of crores of rupees causing huge loss to State exchequer.
The Vigilance Organization Kashmir (VOK) today registered a case against Executive Engineer and Assistant Executive Engineer for misappropriating huge amount of money during execution of the Water Supply Scheme, Nowgamnard Saskhundan in Qazigund area of Anantnag district.
A Crime Branch official said that during the course of verification, it has been revealed that Rs 1.85 crore have been spent on the Water Supply Scheme, Nowgamnard Saskhundan meant for supply of portable drinking water to the people of the area but scheme could not take off due to its faulty design.
The preliminary verification conducted by the Crime Branch revealed that the work on Water Supply Scheme was executed in gross violation of initial DPR as the then Executive Engineer Sham Lal Kapoor and Assistant Executive Engineer Mukhtar Ahmad Dar have not adhered to requisite specifications and dimensions of the pipes during the execution of scheme as the pipe line failed to withstand heavy water pressure.
The officers have deliberately and dishonestly ignored alignment fixed as per DPR and dimensions of pipes during execution of work and consequently amount of Rs. 1.85 crore is a wasteful expenditure and led to loss to State exchequer.
A case (FIR No. 11/2018 under section 5(1) (d) of J&K P.C. Act, Svt; 2006 read with Section 5 (2) of J&K P.C. Act Svt; 2006 and Section 120-B RPC) was registered in Police Station Vigilance Organization Kashmir against Sham Lal Kapoor, the then Executive Engineer son of Om Prakash of Reasi District presently Patoli, Jammu and Assistant Executive Engineer Mukhtar Ahmad Dar son of Mohammad Afzal Dar of Zuhamna, Khandipora, Budgam.
The Vigilance conducted searches of residential and office premises of accused during which evidences/documents with regard to movable and immovable properties were recovered which are under scrutiny.
Vigilance Organization also registered a case (FIR No. 12/2018 U/S 5(1) (c) of J&K P.C Act r/w 5(2) P.C Act J&K P.C. Act Svt. 2006 & section 120-B, RPC on 31.03.2018) in PHE division Bandipore where crores of rupees were embezzled.
The verification conducted into the allegations that the officials of PHE Division Bandipora during the financial year 2011-12 made purchases for store including GI Pipes, QCC pipes, TAR Steel, Union GI pipe worth crores of rupees and most of the items were embezzled by the storekeeper Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, Senior Assistant AEE stores, AAO, Stock Assistant, bill Clerk and others in connivance with each other.
The Vigilance during enquiry found less in quantity and consequently loss of Rs.. 65, 11,039 so far on account of missing items. It has also been found that the store keeper Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, who was also the custodian of records under a well knit criminal conspiracy hatched with other officials of PHE Division Bandipora have dishonestly and fraudulently and by abuse of their official position as public servants, misappropriated the Government property, therefore, causing huge loss to the State exchequer.
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