Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Aug 18: After a mysterious fire destroyed J&K Cement Limited (JKCL) head office at Nawai Subah complex here last month, 11 bank accounts have been discreetly opened and are run by a top official of the corporation, the Early Times has learnt.
The revelation has come at a time when the corporation, according to a CAG report, is running into losses from past many years.
Reliable sources told Early Times that without informing any official in the corporation, the tainted Managing Director (MD) of JKCL, Rakesh Sharma, opened the accounts under the name of the corporation.
Sources said Sharma has flagrantly violated the norms as he did not inform even the Chief Accounts Officer of the JKCL about the bank accounts.
"The MD is secretly operating these accounts," sources said. "It came as a shock for all employees when they came to know about it," they said.
Talking to Early Times, a JKCL official said they don't dare to take this issue up with their MD. "We are just employees of the corporation. How can we dare to ask our MD about the issue," he said.
He said they came to know about the secret accounts after they investigated the matter at their personal level.
Blaming the state government for its indifferent attitude towards functioning of the JKCL, officials said it was quite possible that some senior government functionaries might be knowing about these secret bank accounts. "But it seems that they are hand-in-glove with the MD as no action has been taken in this regard," they said.
Sources said there are many murky things which have had taken place in the corporation, but so far everyone in the corporation seems reluctant to lodge complaint against the MD. "The employees fear they might lose their jobs by complaining about the wrongdoings of the MD," the officials said.
Notably, the corporation is running into losses from past many years. Therefore, it is difficult to understand the rationale behind opening new bank accounts, that too secretly.
"If these accounts have been opened legally, why didn't the MD inform his colleagues, particularly those from the accounts section, about it," the officials asked.
When contacted, Hassan Ara, Financial Advisor and Chief Accounts Officer, she said she will not talk over the issue. "You should contact the MD himself regarding the issue as he is head of the corporation," she told Early Times.
"I am not supposed to talk to media over such kind of controversial issues as it doesn't come under my jurisdiction," Ara said.
Sharma could not be contacted for his comments as his phone remained 'switched off'. |
