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| Skeletons tumbling out of Taj's closet | | Constructed Sedav canal without forest clearance | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 17: There seems no end to former Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Taj Mohiuddin's problems. Having remained in news for all the bad reasons during the past one year, Taj finds himself in yet another controversy.
The latest entry in the long list of allegations against department which Taj headed for four years is the construction of famous Shah Kul (irrigation canal) is Shopian district which according to reports has been taken in hand without getting forest clearance at least for the construction of Sedav, Chotipora branches of the canal despite objections raised by the Forest Department.
Sources told Early Times that Shah Kul which is a very old canal was restored by the Irrigation Department and the project cost was estimated at Rs 5.77 crores. Though at the face of it the project was ambitious one which could irrigate hundreds of canals of non irrigated rather dry land hay but there is interestingly a different story behind all this. No doubt, thousands of people will be benefited by the project but the story simply does not end here.
The project was supposed to irrigate orchards of the people falling under the catchments area of the canal including the village Sedav which is in news for quite some time following Forest land grabbing allegations in the village against Taj but the Sedav branch of the canal could only irrigate the orchard of Taj which prompted the inhabitants of the village to come on the streets to protest discrimination during the last season.
The villagers made collections of Rs. 500 from each family and the total amount so collected was Rs 2.55 lakhs and started halsheeri (voluntarily) digging the left out portion of the canal down the track.
However, this is only one part of the story, the other part is that the Sedav branch of the canal which passes through thick forests was constructed without obtaining forest clearance under J&K Forest Conservation Act. Though the Forest Department objected to the construction of the canal by the Irrigation Department and asked it to obtain clearance report from the appropriate authorities. However, the Irrigation Department continued the construction without even applying for the forest clearance.
DFO Shopian said that the department has asked them (Irrigation department) to obtain Forest Clearance from the appropriate authorities before taking up the project, however, they have not processed the case as yet.
"We objected to it (construction of canal) and asked them to apply for forest clearance report through my office which they have not done so far," DFO told Early Times. He said that his department also objected to halsheeri of the villagers at Sedav and stopped it because it was illegal act which had to be stopped.
However, Executive Engineer, Irrigation Division Shopian, Nazir Ahmad told Early Times that the department has applied for the Forest Clearance Report and were hopefull to get it.
When asked as to why the Sedave branch of Shah Kul was constructed without obtaining the Forest clearance report first, Nazir offered an explanation. " We have tried to construct the canal through land mostly without trees.
"We tried our level best to pass the canal through a terrain having no trees and executed earthwork only.
On whether it was true that the land through which the canal passes belongs to the Forest Department and whether it was also true that the canal was made functional last season for irrigating purposes including prominently Taj's orchard, the Engineer replied in affirmative. This is perhaps the first ever case that has come into the public domain that any department has applied for forest clearance after completing the construction of the project and warrants serious action against the erring officials.
In order to cross check the statements of DFO Shopian and Executive Engineer, Irrigation Division Shopian, Early Times contacted Numberdar (village headman) of Sedav Abdul Ahad Shah for comments who said that great injustice was done to the inhabitants/orchardits of Sedav village who could not get the benefits of the much hyped Sedav canal.
"The Canal was named after Sedav village but the village could not harvest the benefits of irrigating the orchards which were reaped by others," Shah said.
He said that angered by the discrimination, the villagers went for collections and collected around Rs 2.5 lakh rupees and started constructing the balanced portion of the canal on their own but the Forest Department did not allow it instead police ruthlessly beat the villagers and stopped the process.
When enquired about whether the irrigation facility was availed by anyone this year in the village, Shah said that only Minister's land could be irrigated from where the waters were taken to Chek-e-Ramnagri and Vehil leaving Sedav village high and dry.
It merits a mention here that Rs 5.77 crore had been allocated for the project and according to some unconfirmed reports lions share has been utilized so far with only few lakh rupees unspent.
The explosive revelations about ignoring Forest Department's warnings shows that rapacious politician, officials of Irrigation Department and contractors have been carrying out the robbery.
There is a growing demand that large scale misappropriation of funds, shoddy work and nepotism in irrigation projects should be treated as a crime against humanity. This is because thousands of farmers, including those in the dry land and wild hay like upper belt of Shopian have been short-changed due to dud irrigation projects.
The latest expose is even more damaging to the Congress, which has been ruling the State for over a decade now. A State Government whistle-blower, has claimed that around Rs 200 crore was siphoned off or wasted in unworkable irrigation projects during the last four years.
The Chief Minister, who sources say has been adequately briefed about the mega scam, finds himself unable to take any action or order an inquiry as it will implicate some senior members of his own Cabinet. |
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