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| Private vehicles use blue colour official number plates, beacon lights, enter high security zones in Kashmir | | NRHM Director involved in major security lapse at Civil Secretariat | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 27: Weeks before closedown of the Durbar Move offices, former Transport Commissioner Meraj Ahmad Kakru has detected a major security lapse at Civil Secretariat in Srinagar. On his direction, Regional Transport Officer Kashmir Mohammad Anees has seized a private vehicle that had been illegally hired by Director of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), decorated as a 'Government Vehicle' and taken inside the highest security premises of Civil Secretariat dozens of times in violation of all security guidelines and standing instructions. Neither the State Police, CID and Security Wing nor the Chief Minister's crack security unit SSG had any inkling of a private vehicle's entry right upto the VVIP entrance of the Civil Secretariat complex for about two years. The security lapse, according to the authoritative sources, came to the surface, when some of the NRHM officials tipped off Srinagar District Police and Transport Commissioner Kakru. While as the Police seemed to be lackadaisical in its "raid", a team of officials from Motor Vehicle Department and RTO Srinagar lifted the red colour Xylo, bearing registration No: JK01M-8763 and seized its official markings---a beacon light mounted on its hood and a blue registration number plate. According to rules, all private vehicles are bound to carry white number plates while as the private and government commercial vehicles are supposed to used yellow plates. Strictly, only the official vehicles, which have been purchased by the Government and which have ownership in the name of the Government, can use the blue colour number plates. Strictly, only the official vehicles, which have been purchased by the Government and which have ownership in the name of the Government, can use the blue colour number places.
Sources said that the information provided by some NRHM officials proved to be correct that the private Xylo belonged to the NRHM's Nodal Officer for J&K Mushtaq Ahmad who had engaged his own cousin Manzoor Ahmad to drive it. Some officials even insisted that the NRHM Director and the Nodal Officer were partners and the real owners of the vehicle and they had illegally engaged the same as the Director's official vehicle. It was under their direction that a Beacon light was mounted on it and its registration plate was prepared in the restricted Blue colour. Though the vehicle was seized and its illegal markings taken into custody on September 5, 2013, it was subsequently returned to its owner and driver. Official sources said that a case was registered for violation of the Motor Vehicle Rules but Police and Security Wing stayed away due to the NRHM Director's pressure. When Early Times asked the officials in Transport Commissioner's office as to how the same vehicle was continuously under the use of NRHM, they argued that rest of the job was the responsibility of Vigilance Organisation and Security Wing. "Ask ADG Security V.K. Singh and S.P. Security (Civil Secretariat) Maqsood Zaman how the private vehicle had entered the high security zone dozens of times in the last two years. Ask Vigilance Organisation and Accountant General how the NRHM officials had hired their private vehicles for the official use of the Director at an exorbitant rate of Rs 50,000 per month. Ask Health Minister Shabir Ahmad Khan why his subordinate officials in NRHM had been given a long rope to brazenly loot the State exchequer" an official at RTO Kashmir's office said. None of the officials, however, responded to phone calls from this newspaper. |
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