Akshay Azad
Jammu, Oct 28: In what could be termed as major development, full blown battle has begun between Minister of State for Industries Sajjad Kitchloo and Director Industries Dr. Abdul Rashid.
High Court today slammed the Government and stayed the transfer order of Director Industries Dr. Abdul Rashid who was shifted within three months of his posting as Director of Industries Department for Jammu region. Rashid was transferred on October 21, 2014 allegedly after he had exposed a land allotment scandal involving crores of rupees and with allegations being levelled against a Minister and a businessman of Jammu.
The stay order issued by High Court read as "the transfer of Dr. Abdul Rashid, presently posted as Director Industries and Commerce Jammu, vide Government order number 1091-GAD of 2014, is assailed on the ground that the same is in violation of transfer policy issued by Government vide order number 861-GAD of 2010, dated 28/7/2010, firstly being premature and secondly having not been ordered by competent authority.
The order further states that prima facie, the transfer of Dr. Abdul Rashid is premature in face of his earlier transfer effected vide Government order number 773-GAD of 2014, dated 16/7/2014, issued pursuant to Cabinet decision. "As ad-interim, subject to objections and till next date before the Bench, impugned transfer of Dr. Abdul Rashid shall stay", the order concluded.
Pertinently, Early Times had reported in the October 23 edition, that Dr. Abdul Rashid was penalized for exposing the corrupt practices of Minister of State for Industries Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, who was allegedly involved in giving favour to an influential business house of Jammu assuring them allotment of 34 Kanals of land in Bari Brahmana Industrial Area, in lieu of whooping Rs. 1.5 Crores.
During his tenure as Director Industries, Dr. Abdul Rashid had reportedly rejected the proposal of Shivam Metal Shapers Industries Works, Adhishree Cold Storage, after he had found various loopholes into their proposals and subsiding the pending list of 34 entrepreneurs, who had submitted their composite forms since 2009, to seek the piece of land in Bari Brahmana Industrial area to start up their units.
It was also reported that despite the fact that Government has set up formal rules for the people who desired to seek the land from Industrial Estate to start their own units. "But these business houses had not even applied formally and the SIDCO, earmarked 34 Kanals of land in their favour, illegally, without their cases being forwarded by General Manager DIC Jammu, which is a procedural requirement", ET had reported while quoting sources.
Moreover, according to the project reports submitted by the above said industrial unit holders, they had sought only 1200 Square feet and 1.4 Kanals of land but surprisingly MD SIDCO deliberately, earmarked 17 kanals of land for each unit allegedly in connivance with the business house", ET while quoting sources had reported, and had added that according to rates approved by Government, the industrial unit owner had to pay Rs. 68 Lakhs for 34 Kanals of land, which would later be sold at the cost of more than Rs. 5-6 Crores. |
