| I&FC does it again, 'misuses' Rs 1.87 cr | | | Arun Singh
Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 14 : Notorious for diversion of funds under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, the J&K Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department has diverted funds to the tune of Rs 1.87 crore and spent it for other purposes, in violation of laid down norms.
As per information available with Early Times, eight divisions of the I&FC department spent Rs 1.87 crore in five years by diverting the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) funds for various items and activities which were not covered under the scheme. "These eight divisions including Executive Engineer Irrigation Division 1st Jammu, XEn Irrigation Division Akhnoor, XEn I&FC Division Rajouri, EE I&FC Division Poonch, XEn Irrigation Division Anantnag, XEn Irrigation Division Budgam, XEn I&FC Division Baramulla, XEn Irrigation Division Tral during the period 2009-14 on items/activities such as office expenses, furniture, travelling expenses, hire charges, payment of rent etc," the document reads. It says that Rs 10 lakh was also diverted in March 2012 by Chief Engineer Ravi Tawi Irrigation Complex (RTIC) Jammu to PHE department for construction of Jal Bhawan out of the funds released for modernization of main Ravi Canal and its distribution networks in violation of AIBP. The funds were diverted for construction of residential quarters, repairs of divisional buildings, development of lawns, purchase of PoL, LPG, fax machine, computers, furniture, besides repair works, hiring charges, payment of council fee, wages, refreshment charges etc. which were outside the purview of the AIBP guidelines, it added. Pertinently, AIBP was launched by in 1996-97 to expedite completion of large major and multipurpose irrigation schemes, which were beyond the resource capacity of the states, and also to complete ongoing major and medium irrigation schemes which were in advance stage completion, by providing loan assistance to the states. |
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