Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 3: In a brazen violation of rules, former speaker of the legislative assembly has been found using public money to establish a house of profit at Jammu with government, out of state exchequer, supplying furniture and carpets to his commercial guest house.
The probe conducted into the issue has revealed that in April 2013, the government issued furniture worth more than two lac rupees to his personal house. Also, furniture items costing 2.19 lac rupees were issued during November 2011 to June 2013. The residence of the then speaker, who as per the laid down procedure enjoys the status of the cabinet minister, was situated at Arora Abad Sidra Jammu. "As per the law, the speaker has to be provided the carpets, furnishing items and furniture. The government did the same," confirmed an official while pleading for anonymity.
Reports informed further that the former speaker of Omar Abdullah's regime, after receiving all doles from the government for his house, decided to convert his residence into a guest house. The guest house which proved to be a great business for the Speaker was hired by one other than the government itself. The government later decided that it would provide accommodation to the Darbar Move employees in the same guest house during the year 2013, 2014 and 2015. The rent was paid to the speaker, despite the fact that the government itself had invested lacs, out of the public exchequer, over the furniture, furnishing and the maintenance of the guest house. "The fact is that on papers, the place was the residence of the speaker and government had to spent on its maintenance but on ground, it wasn't the residence of the speaker but a guest house- a pure profit earning structure," sources revealed, adding that not taking the furniture and the carpets back after the former speaker made his residence a commercial guest house is indicative of the fact that furniture and furnishing of the rooms were actually for the furnishing of the guest house.
If sources are to be believed, the guest house continues to remain operational and despite the change in the government, furnishing and furniture hasn't been taken back from that place.
An official privy to the development told Early Times that the government has taken a serious note of such a misuse of power and swindling of the public money. "This is gross violation of the rule of the law. The officials who were in nexus must be dealt with sternly. This is nothing but the height of anarchy and mis-governance that has been marring the state since long," divulged an official who was aware of such irregularity. |
