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| Misuse of official position by Yasmeen Khan | | Govt to conduct 10 yrs audit | | Early Times Report
srinagar, Apr 21: After a sustained campaign by Early Times with documental proof , Government has finally taken action against the tainted Director of Sher e Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC). The Director has been sacked from her post along with engineering staff who have been involved in mass bungling and corruption from last several years. The officials according to reports have been attached with the Tourism Department which is SKICC's administrative department as well. Government has ordered for conducting a fresh audit for last 10 years as well.
Details available with Early Times reveal that on Thursday Government ordered attachment of Director Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) Yasmeen Khan along with engineering staff.
On the direction of Tourism Minister Govt issued the orders in connection with the allegations against the officer(s) for violation of rules and norms amounting to abuse of official position, breach of trust, thereby inflicting a huge loss to the state exchequer.
Earlier, the minister also directed for constituting two committees under additional secretary tourism and director tourism Kashmir to conduct a thorough probe into the alleged irregularities. The minister had also directed the finance department for conducting special audit of SKICC for last 10 years.
As reported already tainted Director Yasmeen Khan was allegedly operating bank account of the centre illegally as the account was supposed to be operated jointly by the Chief Accounts Officer (CAO) JK Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) and Director. The CAO of JKTDC was also having additional charge to deal with the accounts of SKICC,
As per Government order No: 38 -TSM-of 1988 Dated 9.8.1988 , a copy of which is available with Early Times, the Director of SKICC cannot operate the bank account on its own as it is a joint account to be operated by Director SKICC & CAO of J&K Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC). As per authentic sources , the order has not been amended till date with some alternate Government order or approval from SKICC board of Governors.
"Some years back FA / CAO of JKTDC Neelam Sharma retired. She was also having charge of SKICC as per Govt order of 1988 (No: 38 TSM of 1988) . It took some time for the new CAO to take charge at JKTDC and during this time all the bungling happened when the SKICC's Manager Finance started drawing money from bank by making the Director to sign the cheques. The incumbent Director Yasmeen was apprised of this matter several times , but she continued to violate the Govt order by single handedly drawing money from J&K Bank Branch Brein Nishat where SKICC has its account" said an aggrieved employee (name withheld)
As reported already SKICC had turned into a hub of corrupt activities as the incumbent Director Yasmeen has spent more than 20 crores of rupees on civil and electric works from last 3 years in SKICC. Sources say that Director is not at all following the e tendering procedure and a blue eyed contractor is allotted civil and electrical works from last several years. The amount spend on works is the hard earned money of poor employees of SKICC , which was otherwise meant for their pension as per the cabinet directions.
Pertinent to mention that State Cabinet in 2014 approved adoption of Defined Pension Rules (DPR) in respect of the employees of SKICC as the employees were not entitled to pension like State run Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) . The Cabinet, order had authorized the Director SKICC to sanction pensions and other retirement benefits to the eligible SKICC employees. The financial burden on account of pension was to be borne by the SKICC out of its internal resources. The Defined Benefit Pension rules are applicable to the employees of SKICC retiring on or after January 1, 2014.
"SKICC has lot of resources with it and a separate FDR tuning to an amount of around 20 crores was kept for the purpose of providing pension to retiring employees. But it is so unfortunate that Director is spending lavishly and the pension amount has almost exhausted as amount has been drawn out after liquidating the FDR" said another employee of SKICC (name withheld) |
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