Early Times Report
Jammu, July 25: The Special Judge Anti-Corruption Kashmir, RN Wattal, on Thursday awarded one-year imprisonment to Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Koul, former Chief Agriculture Officer, and three others in a recruitment scam in the Agriculture Department.
According to the chargesheet, the case owes its origin to a complaint by Additional Secretary to government Agriculture Production Department vide no. AGRI/MISC/AS(K)-97 dated 1.7.97 addressed to Commissioner Vigilance Organization Kashmir (VOK) against the then Chief Agriculture Officer Srinagar, revealing therein that delinquent officer issued orders of appointment/engagement of daily rated workers in violation of the government SRO 64 dated 24.3.94 and government order no. 26-F dated 31.1.94 with the help of Abdul Rashid, Junior Assistant, and Abdul Samad Khan, Senior Assistant, of the Agriculture department.
These appointment orders were issued when the accused CAO was to retire in the month of April 1997, indicating his malafide intentions, resulting in loss to government exchequer. Accordingly, investigation in the matter was taken up, relevant records were seized, statement of witness were recorded and investigation concluded with the finding that the accused Chief agriculture Officer issued engagement orders in respect of 32 casual labourers who were later on disengaged by the Director.
It also revealed that the accused officer in active connivance with Abdul Rashid Bhat issued more appointment orders in respect of Zafar Iqbal, Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Ali Mohammad Mir, Miss Gousia Jan, Shiraz Ahmed, Miss Musrat Qazi, Miss Gowhar Nissa, without adhering to the official procedures and in flagrant violation of rules and regulations.
The Special Judge Anti-Corruption Kashmir, RN Wattal, after hearing CPO Gh. Jeelani for the Anti-Corruption Bureau observed: "Corruption is indeed one of the major roadblocks in the economic development of our state. There is an urgent need to have a comprehensive framework that would help curtail corruption. Rigid bureaucracy, complex laws and legal procedures deters people from taking legal recourse against corrupt public servants."
The court ordered that the convict Gulam Mohi-ud-Din Koul is sentenced to simple imprisonment for one year and fine of Rs 2,00,000 in default thereof he would undergo simple imprisonment for a further period of one month under 5(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act. |
