Srinagar, Dec 18: The State Vigilance Organization today filed charge sheet against senior officials of the Revenue Department for misappropriating crores of rupees in Hill Kaka compensation case.
 According to a Vigilance communiqué, during investigation, “it was proved that out of Rs 2.75 crore shown distributed among the affected families during the relief distribution in 2005, only Rs 0.29 crore was paid to genuine beneficiaries and a loss of Rs 2.46 crore was caused to the exchequer.”
 Giving details about the case, it said in 2003, the Army launched ‘Operation Sarpvinash’ in Hill Kaka mountains of district Poonch to destroy militant hideouts, which continued for many months. Due to the operation the seasonal migrant families of district Poonch and Rajouri were not allowed to graze their cattle on Hill Kaka and surrounding pastures on security grounds, it said adding the Government of India, subsequently sanctioned Rs 7.40 crore as relief and compensation in favour of the affected people.
 It said: “The Deputy Commissioner Poonch transferred the relief amount to Assistant Commissioner Revenue and directed him to disburse the relief among affected families as per the prescribed scale fixed for each cattle head of livestock, sheep and goat owned by affected families. In addition, Rs 400 per month for each person up to maximum of Rs 1600 per family was ordered to be paid to 90 families residing in Hill Kaka area.”
 “The compensation and relief had to be disbursed as per the lists of affected families prepared and submitted by the concerned Tehsildars strictly on the basis of seasonal permits issued to the migrating families by competent authorities for 2001 and 2002.  The Government released an amount of Rs 3 crores during 2003 and Rs 4.40 crores during 2004-05.”
 In August 2005, it said the Vigilance received a complaint about misappropriation of funds and started investigation into it.
 “The officials in conspiracy with touts and beneficiaries have manipulated records wherein number of cattle heads of beneficiaries was artificially inflated and fake records contrary to the factual position on ground were prepared to confer undue benefit on themselves and other accused persons,” the Vigilance said adding the distribution work was carried out under the supervision of Ch. Muhammad Hafiz, Assistant Commissioner Revenue Poonch who was assisted by Sohan Singh Jr. Assistant and Maqbool Ahmad Jr. Assistant.
 The Vigilance produced challan against Choudary Mohammad Hafiz, then ACR Poonch, Ghulam Rasool then Tehsildar Surankote and 16 other accused persons including eight private persons for misappropriation of Rs 2.46 crores.
 The next date of hearing has been fixed on January 19, 2010.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 IST