Akshay Azad
Jammu, Oct 22: Notorious for shielding corrupt officers and promoting them on prime posts, the National Conference led coalition Government has punished another KAS officer by transferring him, for exposing a scandal, allegedly involving Minister of State for Industries.
Moreover in violation of the transfer policy of Government, the KAS officer Dr. Abdul Rashid has been transferred twice in last three months, due to reasons best known to the Government.
On Tuesday, state Government ordered transfers and postings of nine officers, including Director Industries and Commerce Jammu, Dr. Abdul Rashid (KAS), who was transferred and posted as Project Director Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
Earlier, Dr. Abdul Rashid was Director Employment and was transferred on July 16 to Director Industries and Commerce Jammu.
Sources said that Dr. Abdul Rashid has been penalized for exposing the corrupt practices of Minister of State for Industries Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo, who was allegedly involved in giving favour to an influential business house of Jammu assuring them allotment of 34 Kanals of land in Bari Brahmana Industrial Area, in lieu of whooping Rs. 1.5 Crores.
"During his tenure as Director Industries, Dr. Abdul Rashid had rejected the proposal of Shivam Metal Shapers Industries Works, Adhishree Cold Storage, after he had found various loopholes into their proposals and subsiding the pending list of 34 entrepreneurs, who had submitted their composite forms since 2009, to seek the piece of land in Bari Brahmana Industrial area to start up their units", sources said.
Sources further said that despite the fact that Government has set up formal rules for the people who desired to seek the land from Industrial Estate to start their own units. "But these business houses had not even applied formally and the SIDCO, earmarked 34 Kanals of land in their favour, illegally, without their cases being forwarded by General Manager DIC Jammu, which is a procedural requirement", sources said.
They further revealed that according to the project reports submitted by the above said industrial unit holders, they had sought only 1200 Square feet and 1.4 Kanals of land but surprisingly MD SIDCO deliberately, earmarked 17 kanals of land for each unit allegedly in connivance with the business house", sources said, adding that according to rates approved by Government, the industrial unit owner had to pay Rs. 68 Lakhs for 34 Kanals of land, which would later be sold at the cost of more than Rs. 5-6 Crores.
"Dr. Abdul Rashid has been transferred only for exposing the involvement of Minister in the scandal, which should be criticized at all platforms", Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee Secretary, HC Sharma said, and while criticizing the coalition partner said that the misdeeds of National Conference have been bringing disrepute to Congress party as well.
"After the visit of Election Commission of India team to Jammu, the state Government has started adjusting their trusted lieutenants at their choicest posts, while the honest officers have been penalized. How in this situation, free and fair elections will be ensured", he questioned, adding that he has sent a letter to ECI for cancellation of all transfer orders issued after October 18-19 by state Government. |
