| Accused of fraud, 2 engineers elevated as Chief Engineers | | ‘One booked in 2012, another faced SVO’s enquiry in 2017’ | | Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 17: At least two out of seven Superintending Engineers (SEs) recently elevated as Chief Engineers (CEs), don’t have clean track records, as one of them was booked in 2012, while another had faced an enquiry by State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) in 2017, when two BJP members raised issue of misappropriation of funds in repairing works executed in migrants quarters.
Two days back, On July 15, the J&K government placed seven SEs including Er. Ashok Kumar Kikloo, Er. Prakash Chander Tanoch, Er. Shabir Ahmad Chaoudhary, Er. Hem Raj, Er. Dharam Paul, Er. Tarsem Kumar and Er. Rafiq Ahmad Rafiq as CEs.
SE REW Jammu, Er. Shabir Ahmad Choudhary, who has been placed as I/c Chief Engineer, Mughal Road Project, was booked by SVO in December 2012 in an alleged case of fraud.
“Shabir Ahmad Choudhary as XEn, Executive Engineer REW Division Ramban and the then BDO Ramsu along with eight other officers and officials were booked by the SVO on December 26, 2012 for misappropriation of MGNREGA funds worth Rs 6.01 lakh”, reveal the documents in possession with ET.
They further state that these officials were booked under Sections 5(1) (c), 5(1) (d) read with 5(2) J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, 120-B, 409, 420, 467, 468 and 471 RPC in police station Vigilance Organization, Jammu.
“The case was registered on the basis of an enquiry conducted into allegation of misappropriation of State funds under MGNREGA Scheme. The accused had misappropriated an amount of Rs. 6,01,079 dishonestly and fraudulently for different works”, documents reveal.
In a similar case Ashok Kumar Kikloo the then Executive Engineer (XEn), Relief Organisation, Jammu in 2017 had faced an enquiry in 2017. He has been posted as Chief Engineer, PWD Jammu.
“Kikloo on basis of recommendations of manipulative Contract Committee allegedly issued ‘fake’ allotment and supply orders for repair and renovation works at RTR Muthi, Nagrota and Jagti”, sources said, adding that smelling a rat the inmates of these TRTs, the Kashmiri Pandit Community raised alarm over the loot of state exchequer.
On January 30, 2017, the then Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Syed Basharat Ahmed Bukhari had ordered an inquiry into the alleged irregularities worth over Rs 27 crore in the relief funds meant for the Kashmir migrants.
“The Government had ordered an inquiry on demand by the BJP MLCs Surinder Mohan Ambardar and Sofi Yousuf with regard to the probe into alleged irregularities in works worth over Rs 27 crore in migrants colonies at Nagrota, Jagti, Muthi, Purkhu and other places and illegal allotment of works without tenders to favourite contractors”, the documents revealed.
MLC Surinder Mohan Ambardar had alleged that the then Relief Commissioner in connivance with the Executive Engineer concerned accommodated their favourite contractors without going for the proper tender procedures.
Prior to Government’s inquiry, the SVO a month back had initiated a verification into the matter. “The SVO had sought details of works in questions executed by Ashok Kikloo, XEn Relief Organisation Jammu from the Relief Commissioner, even reminders for the same were sent by the anti graft agency to Relief Organsiation, vide letter no. SSP/Veri/2017/SMA/ VOJ, dated 24/12/2017”, the documents reveal. |
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