Bijay Charak
Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 11: Instead of establishing its own buildings, the department of Science and Technology, is paying Rs 25 lakh annual rent for its 12 offices in various districts in state.
The state government has created, Science and Technology, as separate department decades back, but since then the department has not created its own infrastructure in various districts, which is causing huge loss to state exchequer.
Well-placed sources informed Early Times that the department has been paying Rs.2 Lakh as annual rent for each rented building, hired for its offices. "The department pays Rs. 30 thousands for Jammu and nearly Rs.20 thousands for Kashmir office, monthly", the sources said, adding that for other offices, located in ten districts, an amount of Rs. 15 thousands being paid for each office.
"These offices are including Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Doda, Kathua, Anantnag, Baramulla, Kupwara, Budgam, Leh and Kargil", he informed and added that so far the state government has spent crores of rupees as rent for hired accommodations.
The sources further said, "It is very surprising that the department being monitored by a separate ministry in state, but has failed to augmentation department infrastructure. The department has started construction of a building few years back in Kashmir division of Bemina area but the work is yet not completed."
Sources further said that the department has made a proposal to acquired land for office in Jammu district but, same has not been done so far. "The department of Science and Technology was not an exception case which has hired building to house their offices but it has become a modus operandi of various departments", said sources at civil secretariat. |
