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| Probe begins into misuse of funds by hydraulic division Kishtwar | | |  Early Times Report
Kishtwar, Mar 27: The Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar has ordered a probe into misuse of funds by hydraulic division in the district.
The probe was ordered in response to a report carried by Early Times on March 21. The hydraulic division Kishtwar had spent Rs. 1.85 crore on the name of repair/augmentation of HRT lift water supply scheme while Rs. 315183 were spent on so-called permanent restoration of Gravity Main of Naigard, Lalha Water Supply scheme Kishtwar town and WSS Palmar.
But despite spending such a huge amount on the said water supply scheme Kishtwar town and its vicinity is continuously facing water crisis.
As per the official documents available, following the Early Times report, Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Angrez Singh Rana, vide order No. DCK/PS/1088-90, dated 22-03-2018, ordered an inquiry into this issue and appointed Assistant Director Planning, Akhil Thakur as an inquiry Officer.
In its communication to this correspondent vide No. DDCK/Plg/503/2017-18/17048-49 dated 26-03-2018, inquiry officer seeks details from the Early Times reporter with regard the utilization of funds and the proof thereof which was accordingly provided to the inquiry officer as demanded by him. The inquiry officer also seeks the details from the Executive Engineer Hydraulic Division Kishtwar to submit the details with regard to funds spent on repairment of the HRT water lift scheme, besides the restoration of prestigious Naigard water supply scheme. He also seeks details from AEE PHE Sub Division Kishtwar to provide the details of water tax collected by the PHE Sub Division in last five years and details pertain to treasury deposit slips of the same.
During his meeting with the inquiry officer, Early Times Correspondent briefed him about the burning issue of water crisis in Kishtwar town and its vicinity which many a time has resulted into law and order problem for the administration as people day in and day out are coming on roads in protests over the water crisis. Inquiry officer assured in depth probe into the matter. It is pertinent to mention that out of allotted budget of Rs. 4.47 lakh under Demand No. 23-PHE, H.O.D-01-CE PHE Jammu, Group Head -0011 (State Sector Capex Budget), Sub Head -1002 PHE department Jammu, the Hydraulic Division Kishtwar spent Rs.315183 as progress expenditure for permanent restoration of Gravity Main of Naigard, Lalha Water Supply Kishtwar town and WSS Palmar.
Similarly under same head the Hydraulic Division Kishtwar spent Rs. 99 lakh on account of augmentation of 3 stage lift water Supply scheme for abandoned HRT of Dul Hasti Project of Kishtwar Town for the session ending 3/2017 and another Rs. 86.07 lakh were also spent on the same during the same period and thus total an amount of Rs. 1.85 Crore were spent on the prestigious water supply scheme last financial year. Besides this an amount worth lacs of rupees had been withdrawn on account of tanker services which itself is a mass scale nexus in the department wherein the officer concern has diverted the water tax collection money for the payments made to private tanker owners.
The sources told the "Early Times" that many water supply schemes worth crores of rupees though were shown functional in papers and the full payments have been withdrawn by the officials of the department in last 10-15 years, but many among those schemes have never been implemented on ground which according to the sources required to be verified and probed by an independent agencies. One HRT water lift supply scheme dedicated by NHPC to Kishtwar town also fails to tick off and developed a technical snag many a times while other HRT schemes of PHE department is no different to it. It was alleged that the machinery procured by the NHPC with the consultation of PHE department and utilized for the said scheme is said to be off sub standard and similar is the case with other water lift schemes functional in the District.
In addition department also press water tankers into service to provide water to the inhabitants of Kishtwar which according to insiders also functions only in papers and fuel charges and other expenses have regularly been withdrawn on account of water supply and same could be verified from the logbooks of those water tankers. If the insiders are to be believed the payments withdrawn on account of water tanker charges runs worth several lacs without fulfilling any purpose. |
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