Srinagar, July 18: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Sunday asked the Vigilance Commissioner, P L Gupta, to probe the reports suggesting that a senior cabinet minister has purchased a villa in the famed The Dubai Palms, world’s largest man made islands in the United Arab Emirates.
The development comes a day after Greater Kashmir reported that a senior minister has recently purchased an 8-bed room villa in The Dubai Palms while some other cabinet ministers were amassing money through ‘illegal gratifications’, bringing disrepute to the state government. “Taking cognizance of the report titled Minister buys Rs. 120 cr villa in Dubai Palms, Mantris Busy Amassing Wealth Through Illegal Gratifications, carried in the 18th July, 2010 issue of Greater Kashmir, the Government has asked the vigilance Commissioner to conduct a preliminary enquiry to ascertain the veracity of these allegations and submit a report,” said an official spokesman in a statement here.
Informed sources said the Vigilance Organization is likely to begin the probe within a day or two, starting from the Dubai Villa deal.
While the government is yet to come out with “points of reference” of the inquiry, sources said the vigilance commissioner has been asked to probe the matter in its totality. “Obviously, the officer would examine how the deal has been signed and where from the money for it came,” they said.
Sources said the chief minister, Omar Abdullah, took a serious note of the news report following which the inquiry was ordered. “There was a lot of discussion over the issue. Finally it was decided that the matter shall be probed by the Vigilance Commissioner so that facts are brought to light. If the public money has been misused, it is really a matter of concern for the government,” said a senior government officer, pleading anonymity. “The government doesn’t want to jump into conclusions. Let’s wait for the probe results. Only then can some action be initiated.”
While, according to sources, the government had already ordered internal inquiry against some ministers following charges of malpractices by them, the VO inquiry into the present case was likely put the “tainted” ministers in dock.
A cabinet minister, wishing anonymity, said the VO must probe the matter thoroughly and book the culprits. “When such reports pour in, it naturally raises a question mark on the functioning of the cabinet ministers. And if cabinet ministers resort to such malpractices, what impression it shall give about the entire administration. It will obviously send a wrong message from top to bottom?” the minister said. “So it is good that the government has ordered an inquiry into it. Once the tainted ministers are ousted, it will certainly help the government to provide better and clean governance. Otherwise suspicion looms large over all the ministers.”
Apart from Dubai villa deal, Greater Kashmir had Saturday reported that some other ministers were involved in wrongdoings. These included a cabinet minister who has recently entered into a pact with a company which provides machinery pertaining to the work the ministry is supposed to undertake. First, the sources said, the minister demanded 20 percent commission from the company against the material to be supplied. When the deal didn’t finalize, the minister negotiated at over 10 percent commission, earning about Rs 6 crore in a deal of Rs 50 crore.  Another cabinet minister is busy in “real estate business” in the Valley while yet another cabinet minister has earned Rs 5 crore against the transfers of officials made in the past one and a half year.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
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