Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 2: Attached at Director Office 'tainted' former in-charge Executive Officer Katra, despite High Court directions to prosecute him in corruption cases was given a non-existing post of Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at Directorate of Urban Local Bodies Jammu.
Sources informed Early Times that the former In-charge Executive Officer, Municipal Committee Katra Ravi Kumar had been accused of making illegal appointments of his kith and kin in said municipality and booked by SVO, has been awarded price posting.
"But backed by Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand the blue eyed officer managed to escape any administrative action", said an senior functionary at Civil Secretariat, adding that due to some unknown reasons, the blue eyed official has been elevated as OSD.
"After completion of investigation in two FIRs, the SVO had presented challan before Special Judge Anti-corruption Jammu in December 2013, but so far the officer is enjoying the price posting due to reasons best known to authorities concerned", sources said. Terming his attachment at director office in month of July 2014 as shield, the sources said that he was given an opportunity to cover-up his wrong doing on past.
It was also reported that Division Bench of State High Court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Hasnain Massodi had recommended administrative action against the Executive Officer, Katra Municipality, against whom two FIRs had culminated into presentation of charge-sheets in the court of Special Judge Anti-corruption Jammu.
"The direction was passed by the DB in 2013, after going through a fresh CMA, in a PIL filed by an NGO regarding collection of taxes from the pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine", sources said, adding that following the HC directions, the state government sanctioned prosecution against Ravi Kumar. "Earlier, facing corruption charges, overstaying on the post and despite prosecution given by government the officer has been escaping any action," sources alleged.
When contacted, Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Satish Nehru said that no such order has been issued by his office. However, he said that he was not aware whether the post of OSD exists or not at Director Office. |
