MUDDASIR ALI/UMER MAQBOOL

Srinagar, Oct 4: From incumbent to former ministers, legislators and bureaucrats scores of complaints of corruption are pending disposal and conviction in different anti-graft bodies of Jammu and Kashmir.
In detailed written reply provided by the government, to a question by MLAs MY Tarigami and Engineer Rashid in the state Assembly, government has said that at least 181 complaints of corruption are pending disposal in anti-corruption watchdog, State Accountability Commission. In each case the accused are more than 10 persons including ministers, legislators and bureaucrats and other civil and police officials.
According to the information, complaints of corruption and misuse of positions are pending disposal in the SAC against Union Minister and National Conference president, Dr Farooq Abdullah (as former chief minister of the state), Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, PHE Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din and Minister for Education Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed and scores of other bureaucrats including Commissioner/Secretary Finance Sudhanshu Pandey.
There are also corruption cases against number of sitting legislators including Abdul Majid Wani, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Hakim Muhammed Yasin, Abdul Gaffar Sofi and Asgar Ali.
The cases against Dr Farooq Abdullah and Abdul Rahim Rather pertain to allegations that they would award contracts to their relatives. No specific details have, however, been made out in the reply. Identity of the complainant has also not been disclosed.
As the then Rural Development Minister, the incumbent Education Minister Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed and the then Director, Rural Development, Asgar Ali, stand booked in multi-crore rural electrification scam. The case is pending before the High Court. Asgar is accused of accumulating assets disproportionate to his income.
Among former ministers, the then Health Minister Suman Bhagat has been accused of selecting 931 candidates in the nominated category against the sanctioned strength of 45 candidates in Ancillary Medical Training (AMT) School Srinagar, in connivance with her son who was her PRO, the then MoS Health AG Sofi and the then principal AMT school Srinagar. They stand charged of being guilty of corruption, nepotism and maladministration in discharging their duties. The case is pending disposal with SAC.
There is a case against former agriculture minister Abdul Aziz Zargar that he wrongly favoured a person in allotment of piece of land in Shopian for installation of petrol pump.
The cases against MLA Hakim Muhammad Yasin, Taj Mohi-ud-Din and number of other bureaucrats pertain to allowing contracts to various contractors for grinding of wheat for one year and later on extending the benefit to only one contractor while denying the benefits to others.
Former DIG Jammu, Satvir Singh, has been accused of having illegally amassed Rs 114.26 crore by taking illegal gratification for appointments being made by him in the capacity of then chairman of police recruitment board and for transfer of police officials. Among the bureaucrats and heads of prestigious academic institutions, complaints ranging from backdoor appointments to embezzlement stand lodged. Prominent among them are Khazar Muhammad Wani, former Secretary to government and other officials. They have been accused of bungling and maladministration.
Former vice chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu, Dr Nagendra Sharma has allegedly made 400 backdoor appointments in the varsity, abusing his official position, another complaint says.
The allegation against Commissioner/Secretary Finance Department, Sudhanshu Pandey is that even after an inquiry report confirmed that a fraudulent PRC was given to a person, he did not take any action.
The allegation against former vice chancellor, Jammu University, Amitbah Mattoo, is that as the head of the varsity he illegally gave permission for setting up new colleges.  There are allegations against the then Chief Secretary (name not given) and 14 other officials for misappropriating Rs 300 crore JAKFED cooperative supply.
The information reveals that Former MLA Rajpora, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Mir is accused of having taking Rs 70,000 from one Muhammad Shaban Bhat for appointing his son.

CASES IN SVO
There are cases against MLAs and gazetted officers in State Vigilance Organisation pending disposal. There is case against Jagjeevan Lal, former minister in disproportionate assets case. The case is awaiting sanction for prosecution from legislative assembly.
Mehboob Iqbal, presently Commissioner/Secretary R&B, the then divisional commissioner Kashmir misused his official position and other officials for illegal transfer of state land worth crores of rupees. The case has been referred to the law department for opinion.

CASES UNDER TRIAL BEFORE ANTI-CORRUPTION JUDGE
The allegations are against Satpal Singh, Ex MLA Domana, and Prem Lal, Ex MLA Hiranagar. They have been charged of taking money from Bakshi Nagar residents promising jobs. But they were neither provided jobs, nor was the money returned.
Mir Naseem, the then Chief Town Planner Kashmir, Abdul Hamid Wani, then Senior Town Planner Kashmir, conferred undue benefit to influential people by making fraudulent changes in land use in Pahalgam Master Plan.
In another case, Masooda Yaseen, the then director technical education, had purchased 16 units of digital toe aligners for Kashmir division and seven for Jammu on highly exorbitant rates causing huge loss to the state exchequer.
Mansoor Hussain, the then AEE R&W Anantnag, now MLA Shangus, was part of multi crore scam in Anantnag where crores of rupees have been withdrawn against nonexistent works. The case is on prosecution evidence.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 4 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 4 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 5 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST