JAMMU, Mar 28 : To improve efficiency and transparency in implementation of various centrally sponsored schemes executed by Rural Development Department (RDD) for upliftment of rural and remote areas and ensuring quick disposal of complaints and inquiries, a review meeting was convened by state vigilance commission (SVC) with RDD.
SVC also directed RDD to focus on complaints and inquiries, including regular departmental inquiries to ensure their disposal in a time bound manner and submit the status report thereof before the commission on April 7, 2016.
521 complaints are pending before the administrative department, many of which bear serious allegations of corruption against RDD officers and officials. Most of the complaints pertain to irregularities committed in execution of different works under MGNREGA, extending benefits of schemes mainly to sarpanchs and panchs in connivance with BDOs, besides deviation from approved plans and payments drawn fraudulently against non-executed and fictitious works by contractors in league with engineers and other officials of the department, SVC sources alleged. The commission observed that owing to maladministration and poor supervision, the objective of other schemes like Indra Awas Yojna (IAY) and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan( SBA) had also not been fulfilled in many areas. RDD informed that many job cards had been discovered to be fake and even government servants had been issued job cards and payments made, thus acquiring undue benefits and depriving the deserved ones of their due benefits. RDD has been directed for strict action against these illegal beneficiaries as well as registration of cases. SVC also directed the department for photography and videography of works executed in rural areas and post these on website, indicating location and cost of work with year of execution. To ensure that Regular Departmental Inquiries were completed early followed by punishment to the guilty, the Article of Charges to delinquent officials be issued on the basis of preliminary enquiry made by the Vigilance Organization.
The meeting was chaired by chief vigilance commissioner Kuldeep Khoda, and attended by vigilance commissioners R K Jerath, RDD special secretary Gousul Nisa, RDD secretary, SVC, Additional Secretary, SVC Chief Prosecuting Officer and other senior officers of the commission. |
