Jammu, Mar 30: While 36 officials including 25 gazetted officers of the Agriculture Production Department (APD) are facing corruption charges, 17 of the accused employees have retired owing to slow pace of investigations.
 The facts came to fore in Legislative Council in response to a question by Panthers Party MLC Syed Muhammad Rafiq Shah,  here today.
 However Shah said that the figures provided by the Government were misleading “as the officers close to the minister or higher ups are not included in the list.”
 “Instead of initiating departmental action against the accused persons, the department sent the matter to the courts and the accused persons remained on the same posts”, he alleged.   He further said that the department provided the tainted officers NOCs and approved APRs providing ample scope for tampering and destroying evidences.
 Terming it as a big scandal in the department dealing with the main economic sector of the State, Shah staged walkout amid shouting of slogans against the Government.
 Earlier, replying to the query raised by the member, Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said that about 36 employees including senior officers have allegedly been found involved in various corruption cases including embezzlement of funds and misusing official position. These cases are under investigation,trial in the different Courts,Accountability Commission. Steps envisaged under rules are being taken against officers/officials involved in the corruption cases, he said.
 As per information provided by the State Government in the Upper House, these tainted officials and officers include  OSD in the Animal Husbandry Department, Estates Officer, Security Officer, two Executive Engineers, Assistant Comptroller, and Junior Engineer of Shere-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Jammu, two former DHOs, one former and one present HDO, four technicians in the Directorate of Horticulture Kashmir, two former AMOs in the Directorate of Horticulture (P&M), former Chinar Development Officer, Floriculture Officer, and PPO in Directorate of Floriculture Kashmir, former MDO Baramulla, former AEO Uri, former SPO Srinagar, former ASCO Budgam, former SCA Budgam, AEO Shopian, two former Storekeepers, Head Assistant and Senior Assistant in Directorate of Agriculture Kashmir, former Deputy Director Sericulture Central Division Srinagar, former Inspector, and two Sericulture Assistants in the Directorate of Sericulture J&K, and 6 employees of AGRO J&K.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST