Javaid Naikoo
Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 15: A massive scam has surfaced in ULB department as timely placed Executive officers have drained GP fund deposits of legal employees as salary to illegal appointees, thus forced higher ups of the department to manage Rs 3,60,62,000 secretly to bury the issue.
Amid tall claims of transparency in administration, misuse of public exchequer in ULB department goes unabated as important official documents accessed by Early times reveals that massive scandalous measures are going on Urban local bodies department (ULB) of the state with impunity.
Official letter vide DULB/A/2336/17356-17397,dated 12/02/2016 reads that "sanction is hereby accorded to the release of funds to the tune of Rs 3,60,62,000 in favour below Mentioned Municipal Councils and Committees of Kashmir division on account of pending GP fund subscription /refund arears in favour of in service/retired, deceased employees out of devolution." Among the Muncipal councils and committees include Anantnag, Achabal, Bijbehara, Kokernag, Mattan, Pehalgam, Devsar, Pulwama, Awantipora, Ganderbal, Budgam, Khansahab, Magam, Beerwah, charari-Shareef, Sopore, Pattan, Badipora, Sumbal and Hajin.
The huge amount of Rs 3,60,62,000 for these Municipal councils and Committees according to top brass official sources was sanctioned by higher ups of the department after it came to fore that timely placed executive officers have drained GP fund deposits of legal in-service employees in favour of illegally appointed people.
After hue and cry was raised by in-service employees against misuse of public exchequer another order vide 361/A, DULB/ACCTTS/2336 while admitting misuse of GP fund deposits by concerned officials reads that "the funds (3,60,62,000 ) shall not be used for wages and Salary to "ILLEGAL" appointees and any deviation shall be personal responsibility of the concerned executive officers of Municipal Councils and Committees."
This liability of Rs 3,60,62,000 managed by higher ups of the department secretly to bury the issue according to official sources was the GP fund amount of arround 2000 Regularized employees which was drawn as salary by concerned officers in favour of arround 500 illegal appointees. Among the Municipal councils and Committees where GP fund deposits of in-service employees has been drawn as salary to illegal appointees tops the Anantnag with Rs 76,60000, followed by Kokernag with Rs 61,35000, Sopore RS 37,14000, Budgam RS 29,63000, Ganderbal Rs 23 lakhs, Pahalgam Rs 21 lakkhs, Beerwah Rs 17,52000, Chahrari Shareef Rs 15,70000,Achabal Rs 14 lakhs, Mattan 12,8000, Bijbehara Rs 8,37000,then Hajin, Sumbal, Bandipora, Pattan, Devsar, Pulwama, Awantipora, and Magam fall in descending order of loot to public exchequer. Sources said that matter is known to every top brass official of the Department as lot of hue and cry was raised by in-service and retired employees who were informed about misuse of the deposited GP funds by concerned Executive officers. They said that matter was solved by higher ups of the department only after managing 3,60,62,000 to pay as deposited GP funds of in-service employees.
"With a fear of losing another huge amount of Rs 3,60,62,000, higher ups in fresh orders at the time of release of Rs 3,60,62,000 for Municipal Councils and Committees ordered strict guidelines for concerned executive officers and directed them not to use money for any purpose other than to clear pending GP funds deposits of employees." Despite repeated Attempts to reach for his comments, Minister for Housing and urban development Department did not pick up the phone. |
