Syed Tahir Bukhari
Early Times Report
KUPWARA, Nov 14: Irrigation and Flood Control, Division Handwara has been found involved in a conspiracy with beneficiary contractor and have caused huge loss to the state exchequer by drawing bills against unexecuted and inferior quality works, in Kupwara district of North Kashmir.
Sources wished not to be named said that, "a complaint was lodged by one local resident of an area namely Mohammad Jamaal Lone of Pushwari in Kupwara district in Vigilance Department, for which verification was sought out from Flood and Control works in Handwara division, the allotment work was financed by NABARD.
Vigilance Organization has found that irrigation and Flood Control (IFC), Division Handwara in conspiracy with beneficiary contractor who have caused huge loss to the state exchequer by drawing bills against unexecuted and inferior quality works, sources said.
Sources maintained that, "National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is an apex development bank in India having headquarters based in Mumbai (Maharashtra) and other branches all over the country.
A well established source said that the works were checked in association with experts of Vigilance Organization Kashmir and it was revealed that out of an estimated cost of Rs. 10.00 Crores, Rs. 7.00 Crores expenditure had been made.
However, he said that the verification has revealed that Rs. 1.24 Crores were shown billed for connote cutting but, on spot no such evidence of carrying out of this work was available.
Besides, many other works which were reportedly carried out have been shown on records to have been damaged only after a gap of four months, sources added.
Sources said that on the basis of the revelation, a case under First Information Report (FIR) No. 36/2014 has been registered in Police Station VOK and investigation taken up.
Sources further added that, there are many people in the department of Flood and Irrigation in Kupwara district, who was found, involved in the scams, "under no 20/201-VOK dated 04/06/2014. They had misappropriated the funds of worth Rs 11.55 lacs dishonestly these people had shown wrong and inflated earth work in the records against the allotted works advertised by the department from time to time.
Those persons who were found involved in the different scandals are Mohammad Sarwar Dar, Xen irrigation Handwara division, Khazir Mohammad Khanday AEE irrigation Handwara division, Ghulam Mohammad Peer, irrigation Handwara, Abdul Aziz Kumar, Head Draftsman Handwara, Akhter Mohidin Baba, Draftsman Irrigation division Handwara, and Irfan Ahmad Bhat, Draftsman, Irrigation Handwara in Kupwara district, against whom the case is still under investigation, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that there are many developmental initiatives which were taken by NABARD like Watershed Development Fund (WDF). In which the cumulative number of watershed projects sanctioned under Watershed Development Fund (WDF) stood at 586 in 16 States of the country covering an area of 5.40 lakh with total commitment loan and grant component of Rs 306.36 crores. |
