Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 15: In an implicit example of quid-pro-quo, Health and Medical Education Minister Choudhary Lal Singh has rewarded a KAS officer by posing him as his Officer on Special Duty (OSD), who had allegedly benefited Singh, during his posting as Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR) Kathua.
This KAS officer had allegedly benefited Lal Singh by not retrieving nearly 200 Kanls of excess land from the possession of Lal Singh's family Trust, in village Karandi Khurd of tehsil Hiranagar, during his posting as Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR) Kathua.
The story begins with a complaint in Vigilance department and surprise check by a team of Vigilance Commissioner in year 2006.
According to that communiqué which is in possession of Early Times, it revealed that on 24/4/2006, the then Vigilance Commissioner J&K, had sent a confidential communiqué to the then Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, as per letter number SVO/06/PRK-63/05-SC/4605, in which it was mentioned that during joint surprise check it was found that
Choudhary Lal Singh has physical possession of 324 Kanals and 7 Marlas land in village Karandi Khurd, tehsil Hirangar, where, Singh was constructing a farm house.
Moreover, following perusal of case in the High Court, the then Deputy Commissioner Kathua, on 5/3/2013, wrote a letter number DCK/ARA/2012-13/503-04, to RB Education Trust through its chairperson Smt. Kamya Andotra D/o Choudhary Lal Singh and Smt. Kanta Andotra (Trustee) wife of Choudhary Lal Singh in village Karandi Khurd, tehsildar Karandi Khurd, tehsil Hiranagar , District Kathua.
The then DC, according to the letter had said, "On the basis of report received from Tehsildar Hirnagar, it is established that Trust is having land measuring 316 Kanals 17 marlas, which comes out to be 243 standards kanals and 10 marlas which is more than the ceiling limits as laid down in Agrarian Reforms Act 1976".
The second last paragraph of official letter of DC further read as, "You (RB Education Trust) are requested to select 100 standard Kanals of land which can be retained by the Trust as per provisions of Agrarian Reforms Act 1976 and inform this office the left over area of land measuring 143 standard Kanals 10 Marlas which is in excess of the ceiling limit prescribed in Agrarian Reforms Act 1976". The concluding paragraph read as in case no response is received within seven days of coming into knowledge of this notice, action warranted under rules will be taken against the Trust.
KAS officer Punnet Sharma, was posted as ACR Kathua, as per government order number 483-GAD of 2012, dated 27-04-2012. Sharma was also PIO at DC office Kathua, and had furnished vital information of land in possession of RB Education Trust to RTI applicants. Sharma was also proceed further in the case and had to retrieve excess land from the Trust.
As the story proceeded further, sources said that Lal Singh was very much annoyed by the working style of Puneet Sharma and sought him transferred from Kathua at any cost.
Interestingly, the posting order of Punnet Sharma as ACR Kathua was issued by GAD, but while transferring him from Kathua, an order was issued by Revenue department, order number Rev(Gaz) 98 of 2013, dated 2/4/2013, transferring Puneet Sharma from Kathua.
Puneet Sharma's transfer was also in violation of Transfer policy of state government, as Puneet Sharma was transferred within one year of his posing in Kathua as ACR, sources said, adding that GAD is cadre controlling authority of KAS officer, but transfer order of Sharma was issued by Revenue department rather than by GAD.
Suraj Parkash Rukwal the then SDM RS Pura, was transferred and posted as ACR Kathua, according to same order, who was allegedly holding close allegiance to Lal Singh.
Sources said, Rukwal was supposed to retrieve excess land from RB Educational Trust but he didn't take any action to retrieve land, due to reasons best known to him.
Surprisingly, according to O.M No. HUD/Lit/83/2014-JDA dated, 9/5/2014, the Director Finance Housing and Urban Development Department had submitted before High Court in response to OWP number 1052/2013, that Suraj Prakash Rukwal (OSD) was among the eight officers, who were attached with the then Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand (then Minister Incharge Housing and Urban Development Department), who had issued requisition slips to subordinate offices for Petrol Oil Lubricants (POL) to vehicles attached with the then Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand.
Sources further said that government had also submitted before HC that departmental action would be initiated against the eight officers including SP Rukwal.
ACR Kathua Suraj Prakash Rukwal, was transferred and posted as Additional Secretary to Finance department on January 27, 2015 and only after nearly one month, on 6/3/2015, Rukwal has been posted as Officer on Special Duty with Minister for Health and Medical Education Choudhary Lal Singh.
"If government had admitted before HC that departmental action would be issued against the officers, including SP Rukwal, than why such officer has been posted as OSD of Choudhary Lal Singh, despite explicit directions from Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, not to appoint officers by Ministers, having enquires pending against them", sources regretted.
They further alleged that it was just a quid-pro-quo by Choudhary Lal Singh, who had now rewarded SP Rukwal with OSD post, as latter had earlier, allegedly benefited Lal Singh Family's Educational Trust in district Kathua by not retrieving extra land which was found excess according to Agrarian Reforms Act 1976. |
