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Swachh Bharat Abhiyan adds to kitty of Soibugh block officials
1/1/2016 10:41:29 PM
Jehangir Rashid

Early Times Report

SRINAGAR, Jan 1 : The 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' programme may have done wonders for the people of country, but the same has been hogged by controversy in the state with allegations coming from the various corners.
In a latest example of misappropriation of amount for construction of toilets under this scheme it has come to fore that officials of a block in Kashmir valley are deducting around 20 percent as their 'share' or 'bounty' from people who don't have toilet at their home and want to construct the same.
Officials at the Block Development Office of Soibugh in Central Kashmir's Budgam district are deducting Rs. 2,000 from Rs. 12,000 allotted to a beneficiary for constructing a toilet in his house. As such the beneficiary has to get the job done in Rs. 10,000 and given the escalating prices of building material it is quite impossible. "Ever since the scheme has been launched the officials of Soibugh block are making merry. They deduct Rs. 2,000 themselves and hand over Rs. 10,000 to a person who does not have any toilet at his house. This has been going on for months now but the higher ups are yet to act in this matter," said sources while sharing details with Early Times.
Sources said that some of the beneficiaries raised objections over the 'commission' deducted by the block officials, but still then no follow up action was taken. They said that since majority of the beneficiaries don't know about the exact amount to be received as such the 'fraud' does not come to fore on every occasion.
"In the Soibugh block so far 348 such toilets have been constructed and one could easily make out the money earned by the block officials out of the same. Around seven lakh rupees have gone into the kitty of block officials and that too without any hard work. Despite this glaring embezzlement no action has been taken against the people responsible for the same," said sources.
The officials of this block have earned yet another 'distinction' and that is in the form of stopping payments to contractors after execution of works. The officials demand their 'commission' as and when they have to release payment to a particular contractor.
"The officials demand 2 percent at the time when work order is made for a particular work. After this 1 percent has to be given to the technical engineer and once the bill is submitted then a contractor has to pay Rs. 2,000 as commission towards the block officials. There is no end to this practice despite tall claims of fairness by the government," said sources. Sources said that a payment of 50 lakhs remained pending for almost a month since the contractors could not arrange for the 'commission' to be paid to the block officials. The cheque of Rs. 50 lakhs issued onDecember 1 could be enchased only on December 29 after the contractors arranged for the 'commission'.
Block Development Officer (BDO) Soibugh, Farhat claimed that no deduction whatsoever is made to the amount released to people who have to construct toilets. The BDO said that beneficiaries are identified by Panchayat Secretary and the block has no role in this whole matter. She said that no 'commission' is demanded from the contractors adding that the complaint would be looked into.
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