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| State loses Crores to wildlife officials at Aru post | | Minister assures enquiry | | Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Anantnag, Aug 31: Jammu and Kashmir government is being duped each day by the Influential officials and employees of the wildlife department posted at Aru valley Toll post in Pahalgam for collecting
tax from the visiting tourists as they sniff major amount from the collection.
Documents reveal that the wildlife department is collecting Rs 3-4 Lakhs rupees each year from the toll post which puts the figure of visiting tourists shockingly in hundreds. "Every year thousands of national and international tourists visit Aru Valley, however the tax collected by the department is too less. I was
shocked to see that department has collected just 4 lakh rupees last year from the toll post," an official of the departmnet pleading anonymity said.
According to circular of the wildlife department, Rs 25 are being collected from visiting national tourist at the toll post and if the tourist posses a camera then the tourist has to pay additional 100
Rupees for the gadget while as a foreigner has to pay rupees 50 for himself and 200 for the camera.
"Now-a-days we can't imagine a tourist without camera," officer added.
Sumo stand union head at Pahalgam told Early Times that a total of 525 vehicles are registered with them which py on Pahalgam-Aru Valley road.
"June and July are most busy months for us. No vehicle from Srinagar or any other area can ply on this road. We are being hired for the sightseeing and Aru is most important for every tourist," Irshad
Ahmad, a cab driver told Early Times.
He said that on each day every cab at least gets passenger. "No one returns home with empathy hands," he added. Going by the figures, if the registered vehicles visit Aru Valley in a month with an average of four tourists and a single camera the tax collection will be over 60 lakhs rupees but the collection by the
department is just 4 lakhs rupees in the last year. Eyewitness said that employees at toll post collect money from the drivers without receipts.
Wildlife Warden, Mohammad Sadiq Baba who was recently transferred, admitted large scale corruption on the toll post. "Yes it is a fact. They (Employees) are sniffing major amount. They have links with
politicians. Once I tried to shift them but they used their political connections. All the employees posted there have completed their terms," he said.
However, he said that he has suggested to the department to outsource the same in order to end the corruption. Minister for Forests Bali Baghat when contacted assured that he will inquire the matter. "Since you brought this issue into my notice I will ensure its inquiry within a week and exemplary punishments to the involved," the minister said. |
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