Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 12: Vigilance Organization has booked Revenue officials of District Reasi on corruption charges for illegal drawal of compensation of land in favour of accused private beneficiary fraudulently for the land already acquired by Railways.
A criminal case has been registered against Kartar Singh, then Tehsildar Katra, Suram Chand, then Naib Tehsildar Katra, Mangat Ram, then Girdawar Katra, Sher Singh, then Patwari and private beneficiary namely Mani Ram of Kundrorian, Tehsil Katra district Reasi.
The enquiries also found involvement of other Revenue officers / officials namely Sanjay Badyal, then Naib Tehsildar Katra, Mohd Sharief, then Girdawar Katra and Mohd Aslam, then Patwari, who had prepared and issued the Revenue extract and attested mutations in criminal conspiracy and connivance with Mani Ram in selling of land already acquired by Railways/ PWD Departments.
During verification, it has been revealed that Mani Ram (Co-Sharer) was in the ownership and possession of land measuring 06 kanals 17 marlas, local in khasra No. 656 situated at village Kundrorian. The Railways authorities had acquired land measuring 04 kanals 19 marlas 06 sarsi local (03 K- 03 M std.) in the said Khasra and after this land measuring 01 kanal 17 Marlas 03 sarsi remained in said Khasra. Mani Ram received the compensation for the same for his 1/6th share amounting to Rs 90,345/- and compensation of other co-shares was also deposited in his bank account in the year 1998. During the course of further verification, it has also been revealed that Mani Ram again received compensation amounting to Rs 4,38, 437.50/- of all the co-sharers including his share of Rs. 73,072.91 for land measuring 03 kanal 01 marla local acquired by PWD situated at village Kundorian, Tehsil Katra & District Reasi in the year 2004, whereas, he was only in possession of land measuring 01 kanals 17 Marlas 03 sarsi ( Local) in said Khasra. Thus, said Mani Ram received compensation in excess of land measuring 01 kanal 03 marlas 06 Sarsi (Local) from PWD Department in criminal conspiracy and connivance with Revenue officers/ officials.
Further Mani Ram and his co-sharers also sold 13 marlas 06 sarsi of land in said Khasra to some private persons (already acquired by Railways/ PWD and still in possession of land measuring 19 marla 03 sarsi local in the above said khasra.
Meanwhile, after registration of a case FIR under Prevention of Corruption Act, the teams of Vigilance Organization Kashmir today conducted searches of the residences of the accused Public Servants namely Qazi Mohammad Arif, then Superintendent ITI Kupwara and Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, then Storekeeper ITI Kupwara.
The case has been registered on the outcome of a verification conducted in to the allegations that the procurement of various tools and equipment items meant for ITI Kupwara for up gradation of few trades viz Motor Mechanic Trade and Copa trade for better skill training courses for youth of the Sate under vocational training improvement programme during the year 2011 at exorbitant rates by the then officers/officials of ITI Kupwara.
Moreover, all the firms who participated in the so called tendering process were neither dealing in the trade of such equipment nor registered for such sale and it has been found that they purchased the supplies from distributors or commission agents either from Srinagar or Baramulla. Most of the items were found purchased by the officers/officials of ITI Kupwara on exorbitant rates in comparison to market rates which resulted in loss of Rs. 4,23,270/- to the State exchequer.
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