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| Over Rs 38 lakh drawn for nothing, ACB files case against 2 SMC officials, NGO | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 29: Anti- corruption Bureau on Saturday filed an FIR against officials at Srinagar Municipal Corporation and an NGO for embezzling over Rs 38 lakh sanctioned for building household latrines under a government of India scheme.In a statement issued here, the ACB said that 218 Individual Household Latrines and 9 twin storage pits with a cost of Rs 17490 and Rs 12000 were to be constructed under the Swach Bharat Mission (SBM Scheme) by the NGO namely M/S Social Welfare India under the patronage of SMC.
However without completing even a single unit of either structure, the said NGO "citing the work done, submitted a completion certificate in respect of aforesaid constructions appending therein the list of beneficiaries" even as Commissioner SMC "got the matter verified through engineering wing of SMC comprising of the then XEN, JE and submitted physical verification report to the commissioner that the said IHHL and Twin storage pits have been constructed as per SBM/SMC guidelines, subsequent to which an amount of Rs 38,81,612 was released in favour said NGO" the ACB said.
As per the ACB, the engineering wing of SMC submitted false completion/verification report to higher-ups facilitating release of the said amount of money in favour of the said NGO against the non-existing works.
It said the officers/officials of SMC in league with the said NGO "by sheer abuse of their official positions and for their own pecuniary benefits submitted false completion/verifications report thereby facilitating the release of Rs 38,81,612/ thereby causing huge loss to state exchequer and undue benefits upon the said NGO and themselves".
An FIR under relevant sections of law case has been registered in ACB Srinagar Branch against the officers/officials of SMC which include then Executive Engineer SMC namely Maroof Ahmad, then Junior Engineer SMC namely Javaid Iqbal Shah, and office bearers of said NGO namely Zaheer Abbas Bhatti (Director M/S Social Welfare of India-NGO) and Ishrat Ashraf Shah, (General Secretary M/S Social Welfare of India-NGO).
The ACB also carried out searches in residential houses/offices of above named accused persons upon court orders and incriminating material/documents have been recovered, it said.
Further investigation of the case is going on.
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