*Action taken on CAG findings involving Ex-Speaker sought
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 29: Taking serious note of the reports about continuous occupation of the Government accommodation by the former Ministers, MLAs and other public functionaries, the Jammu and Kashmir State Accountability Commission (SAC) has directed the Director Estates Department to appear in person to explain the steps taken to evict the illegal occupants. Moreover, he has also been asked to furnish the action taken report on the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India regarding retention of furniture by the former Speaker of Legislative Assembly.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that Jammu wing of the State Accountability Commission has prepared a suo moto case after analyzing the reports highlighting continuous occupation of Estates Department accommodation by the former Ministers, Legislators and other public functionaries of the State.
This suo moto case came up for hearing before the Full Commission in the recent past and following deliberations the Commission issued notice to the Director Estates Department asking him to apprise the Commission about the steps taken to get the Government accommodation vacated from the illegal occupants.
In his reply, the Director Estates informed the Accountability Commission that eviction drive could not be successfully carried out in majority of the cases because several ex-Ministers and Legislators approached the High Court and obtained interim orders. He also submitted before the SAC that in view of status-quo orders from the High Court no further action could be initiated.
It was also brought to the notice of the Accountability Commission by the Director Estates Department that a committee has been constituted on the directions of the High Court to sort out the issues pertaining to vacation of Government accommodation from the ex-Ministers and Legislators. However, the Director Estates didn’t furnish the information about the outcome of constitution of committee.
After going through the reply of the Director Estates Department, the Full Commission has directed him to appear in person to explain as to how many meetings the committee has convened and what the outcome of the deliberations was, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that this committee headed by ADG Security and comprising of Deputy Commissioner Srinagar/Jammu, Director Estates and SSP Security Srinagar/Jammu has been given the powers to make recommendations to the Minister Incharge Estates, who is generally the Chief Minister, for making allotment of Government accommodation to the political persons and former Legislators under the discretionary quota.
“Due to status-quo orders of the High Court, the State Government is facing accommodation crisis”, sources said, adding “moreover, the interim orders are continuing mainly because of the failure of the Law Officers to apprise the High Court about the difficulties being faced by the Government due to continuous holding of accommodation by the ex-Ministers, ex-Legislators and other public functionaries”.
It is pertinent to mention here that these ex-Ministers and ex-Legislators are holding the Government accommodation in blatant violation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) formulated by the State Administrative Council (SAC) during the Governor’s Rule early this year.
The SOP states that the permissible period for retention of Government accommodation in case of expiry of the term/termination of appointment/relinquishing of office of constitutional dignitaries, the Ministers and Legislators shall be one month.
According to the SOP, in case due to any reason including the procedural delay, the Government accommodation is not vacated within the permissible period, the commercial rate in vogue shall be charged which shall be worked out annually by the Public Works Department. However, the Estates Department has yet not started implementing the Standard Operating Procedure, sources regretted.
“The personal appearance of Director Estates Department has also been sought by the Accountability Commission in another suo moto case prepared on the basis of findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India”, sources said while disclosing that CAG had pointed out retention of furniture provided by the Estates Department to the former Speaker Mubarak Gul at Jammu.
“The former Speaker was provided furniture for his house at Sidhra as per the entitlement but later the house was taken on rent by the Estates Department for being used as guest house but the furniture was not taken back and the same was pointed out by the CAG in its audit-para”, sources informed.
They said that during personal appearance the Director Estates Department will explain to the Accountability Commission the action taken on the audit-para of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
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