SUHAIL AJMAL
Sumbal (Bandipora), Dec 12: In a disturbing development, the Municipal Committee Sumbal (MCS) is allegedly planning auction of prized plantation worth crores of rupees in a local nursery at Inderkote to pay the remuneration of hundreds of backdoor appointees.
 Locals on Monday staged protests against the proposed move of MCS demanding holding back the proposed auction to prevent vandalizing of the nursery.
 Raising slogans against the department of Local Bodies, the residents of the area told Greater Kashmir that the authorities in Municipal Committee Sumbal have not only committed the misdemeanor of making hundreds of backdoor appointments but are now trying to cover-up their wrongdoings by planning the auction of lakhs of budding trees to pay for the salaries of the backdoor appointees and thereby devour the area of the much-needed forest cover.
 Locals accused the Divisional Forest Officer Bandipore of approving the ‘illegal’ auctioning of the plantation on the recommendations of the MCS without looking into its consequences.
 They alleged that DFO Bandipora of helping MCS. “ The Municipal Committee in nexus with the concerned officer has prepared a doctored report to facilitate the auction of plantation,” they added.
 They demanded cancellation of the auction notice approved by the Director Local Bodies under number DULB/G/10690 Dated 03-12-2011, mentioning the auction of the plantations in the beat no.1 Vasi Khan, Alicheck,  Domkhan and Neobar comprising of lakhs of Poplar and Willow trees worth crores of rupees.
 They said that these plantations were developed under a massive afforestation drive after the area faced wanton destruction of trees during the infamous Ikhwan reign.
 “We managed to recover the area with fresh plantation after the notorious Ikhwani rule devoured these plantations, but now the officers from the Local Bodies are behaving like pillagers axing the prized plantations again,” lamented Muhammad Hussain adding the “higher ups in the Local Bodies should stop the auction in order to avoid any eventuality”
 They alleged that the Local Bodies authorities have illegally made around 300 backdoor appointments in each Municipality in Bandipora district and when they (employees) press for the demands of salary, the authorities want to arrange the money by auctioning the plantations.”
 “This plantation is in its budding stage, it can be sold after eight years, but to cover-up the embezzlements and backdoor appointments, officers in the Local Bodies have invited bids for auctioning these trees in the budding stage that also at a meagre price,” said Muhammad Sayed of Inderkote.
 Pertinently, the state government recently ordered an inquiry into the large-scale backdoor appointments made in the Local Bodies during the past three years.
Officers Speak
 Director Local Bodies Muhammad Afzal Bhat told Greater Kashmir that the auction has been approved after the proposal was received from Municipal Committee Sumbal. He said the approval for the auction of plantation was finalized after approval of Forest Department.
 “I will inquire into the matter if people are not satisfied,” Bhat said.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 IST