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| Is JK’s Rehabilitation Deptt violating financial propriety norms? | | Funds for terror victims deliberately kept unspent, claimants in disarray | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 3: Call it an irony of sorts that the money meant for the compensation of the victims of violence in Jammu and Kashmir has been kept unspent and parked in government treasuries for years, leaving the next kin of terror victims in distress. Such a practise is a clear violation of financial propriety norms.
As per the documents in possession of early times, the General Administrative Department on July 4, 2008 prescribed amendments to Jammu and Kashmir Compassionate Appointment Rules 1994 related to cash compensation in lieu of appointment in Government Service.
As per the amended rules the family members of the civilians killed in militancy related action were entitled to cash compensation of Rs four lakh in lieu of appointment in Government service.
The compensation amount of Rs four lakh is also required to be deposited in the name of the next of kin of the deceased person by the concerned Deputy Commissioner to their saving bank account in the branch nearest to the residence of the beneficiaries provided the claimants furnish willingness for acceptance of cash compensation in lieu of Government job.
However, the audit scrutiny has revealed that for family members of civilians killed in militancy related incidents, cash compensation in lieu of Government Service had been claimed by 372 and 111 people respectively in two districts wrecked by violence namely Baramula and Anantnag.
However, disbursement had been made only in respect of 281 cases and 84 claimants by DC, Anantnag and DC, Baramulla respectively.
An amount of Rs 14.88 crore was drawn during the period from 2008-09 to 2017-18 by DC, Anantnag from the Treasury and credited into a Bank account of the DDO. However, cash compensation of Rs 3.64 crore drawn for 91 claimants was lying undisbursed in the Bank account of DC, Anantnag. Similarly, by DC, Baramulla, out of Rs 4.44 crore cash compensation withdrawn from Treasury, Rs 3.36 crore was paid up to March 2019.
Therefore, balances of Rs 5.71 crore and Rs 2.13 crore were still lying in the Bank accounts of DCs Anantnag and Baramulla respectively as per the official scrutiny of the records.
Furthermore, the compensation amount was not disbursed due to non-completion of requisite formalities such as want of Fixed Deposit Receipts, not opening of bank account by the beneficiaries, non-submission of willingness by the claimants for acceptance of cash assistance in lieu of Government job.
Therefore, compensation amount totaling to Rs 4.72 crore was drawn from the treasury for payment to the family members of deceased persons killed in militancy related incidents and holding the amounts by parking of funds in the bank accounts over a period of about 10 years was against the principles of financial propriety. |
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