 Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
jammu, Dec 23: Accused of embezzlement and backdoor appointments as assistant commissioner development (ACD) Rajouri, now MGNREGA Ombudsman is probing fictitious payments made in Kalakote Block.
According to documents, after Early Times report regarding embezzlement committed by some officials of Block Kalakote, ACD, Rajouri on November 11, 2018, requested the Ombudsman Rajouri-Poonch districts, Ajaj ul Hassan Bandey to inquire of matter, but after lapse of six weeks, no further action has been taken by enquiry officer.
Earlier, in an attempt to hush-up the scandal the ACD Rajouri, on October 10, 2018 had ordered an enquiry, but the BDO Kalakote manipulating ACD's order, further sublet his job by constituting another enquiry committee, whose report is still missing.
However, the Ombudsman Rajouri-Poonch, a former ACD Rajouri, went to Kalakote and met Mohan Singh a contractor, who was being harassed JE by withholding his payment. "The Ombudsman, three weeks ago came here and visited the site along with other staff members from Kalakote block, he instructed the JE to release payment, despite all this I'm running from pillar post to get my pending payment", said Mohan Singh and added on Monday (tomorrow) he would file a court case against JE, BDO Kalakot and the Ombudsman.
It is pertinent to mention here that apart from contractor's grievance, the Ombudsman has to take up matter of payment made in favour of outsider vendor by the JE, but he gave a skip into this. The vendor reportedly is relative of JE, and as per MGNREGA guidelines only a resident of concerned panchyat can be a vendor.
It has been learnt that a group of officials from Kalakote Block, has recently met with the Ombudsman and greased his palm to save, their trapped colleague.
According to sources in Directorate of Rural Development, Jammu the Bandey , the Ombudsman has tainted track record, during his service, as ACD Rajouri he embezzled funds and made over 50 back door appointments under MGNREGA and other state sponsored schemes. He even overshadowed misdeed of his successor, Noor Alam, who is in ACB's net.
"Indu Kanwal Chib, presently Director Rural Sanitation, J&K, during her stay as Deputy Director, Administration, Directorate of Rural Development Jammu, in 2012 had conducted an inquiry and found embezzlement and back door appointments done by Bandey as ACD Rajouri, but using his political connections, Bandey managed to escape action", they alleged.
ACD, Rajouri, Akhtar Qazi, when contacted said that the Ombudsman has not submitted the report yet. |
