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| Suspended Udhampur Revenue officials enjoy political patronage; hectic efforts on to save guilty | | Stone quarrying over state land scam | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 7: Backed by a powerful politician, three Revenue officials who fraudulently allowed illegal stone quarrying over state land in Udhampur district are using all possible means to get their suspension revoked.
Such is the political pressure that Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Vikas Sharma did not utter even a single word when asked about the fate of inquiry he was entrusted with by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Udhampur Yasha Mudgal after the three officials were suspended on October 28. However, it has been learnt reliably that the three are likely to be challaned within next few days.
Despite the case being watertight against the three accused officials, sources said that MLA Udhampur Balwant Singh Mankotia has been making knee deep efforts to convince higher-ups about the innocence of the three accused Revenue officials. Ask for the reason and sources would tell you that Purshotam Singh, the contractor who had sough no-objection from Revenue Department for stone quarrying at village Muttal in Tikri niabat of District Udhampur is Mankotia's man.
Sources further said that the three accused are also making attempts 'on the right as well as left' to not only get their suspension revoked but reinstated on the posts from where they were suspended. Sources further said that two of the three accused even approached a Congress leader for getting their suspension revoked and posted at their desired places but all efforts have failed miserably.
It needs to be mentioned here that inquiry ordered by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Udhampur Yasha Mudgal is almost complete and the three accused are likely to be challaned and booked under relevant sections of prevention of corruption act as well as punished for misuse of official position. Though Additional Deputy Commissioner Vikas Sharma did not utter a single word, well-informed sources told Early Times that evidence points towards involvement of all the three accused.
The three accused include the then Naib-Tehsildar (NT) Tikri Ved Parkash, then Naib-Tehsildar Mehboob Qazi and the then Naib-Tehsildar (NT) Mali Krishan Rathore. Sources said that the three officials have been found involved in fraudulently allowing illegal stone quarrying over state land in Udhampur. They added that the three officials in abuse of their official positions gave permission for stone quarrying to Purshotam Singh, the contractor.
They had no jurisdiction to allow stone quarrying since it is the Geology and Mining department which has sole authority to grant permission. Sources disclosed that the then Naib -Tehsildar (NT) Tikri Ved Parkash had recommended case of Purshotam while Naib -Tehsildar (Udhampur) Mehboob Khan had granted permission by signing the documents on behalf of Tehsildar.
Though he was not authorised yet had even used stamp of Tehsildar on the documents submitted by Purshotam Singh seeking permission for stone quarrying over a piece of state land. Krishan Chander, who was then posted in Niabat Mali had aided the two Naib-Tehsildars in carrying out this alleged illegal work by showing the land involved as 'Abandoned and Barren".
Though the land involved was agricultural yet Kirshan Chander had shown it as 'barren', sources asserted. They disclosed that the trio despite facing serious charges has been making all possible efforts to get back to their original place of posting. However, a source close to Revenue Minister Aijaz Ahmed Khan told Early Times that the three would not be allowed to go scott free. |
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