Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 12: The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has turned out to be a big money spinner for a few people in Jammu and Kashmir. Highly placed sources told Early Times that since the beginning of lockdown and establishment of COVID-19 centers, apart from the designated COVID hospitals, the complaints about substandard food being served to the patients and sanitation facilities being poor have been galore.
“Some inmates voluntarily shared videos and photographs of COVID care centres and hospitals being in shambles. Though, at that point of time nothing much could have been done but now people have started asking questions like what happened to the money which was sanctioned for these COVID-19 care centers. The grievance cells of J&K government are receiving numerous complaints. The administration is being urged by some social workers and the whistle blowers to order a probe and a special audit of COVID funds released to each district of JK UT to strengthen the system to fight against corona”, they said, adding that it was learnt that some nodal officers at district level are in questions due to their past practice of manipulation of funds.
“I have filed so many complaints against fishy purchases done by the district nodal officers during the pandemic”, said a social worker, wishing not to be named yet.
“I have personally talked to some senior IAS officers, who have assured me of strict actions if compromise in purchases for COVID management was detected. There is scandal in purchase of every small thing right from face mask, sanitizers, food, medicines, PPE kits, mattresses, bed sheets, and miscellaneous expenditure is full of frauds,” he said, alleging that a officer, who is infamous for his misdeed has made fortune during the pandemic.
“I urge Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to order an independent probe into the utilisation of COVID-funds in J&K UT and give exemplary punishment corrupt officers/officials who used the pandemic as an opportunity to accumulate wealth”, he said. |
