Jammu, May 12: Reacting to the inquiry ordered by the State Accountability Commission (SAC) regarding the alleged embezzlements in the JK Cooperative Housing Corporation (JKCHC), Minister of State for Cooperatives, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma on Saturday termed it a political and bureaucratic conspiracy against him to malign his image.
 Addressing a hurriedly called press conference here at his official residence, the Minister said the hefty figure of Rs 5,000 crore embezzlement and irregularities in the Corporation, reported in media today were factually wrong and an attempt was made to malign his image. “I am sure that there are some political and bureaucratic forces behind this and there were no embezzlement in the Corporation”, the Minister claimed.
 “The figure of Rs 5000 Cr is absolutely illogical when the turnover of the Corporation was just Rs 132 Cr in its last financial year. The allegation of illegal appointments of 600 people was also incorrect, especially when the total strength of the employees in the cooperative banks is just 750. However  only 114 appointments were made in my tenure,” he said.
 He said that Board of Management of cooperatives society has full authority to make appointments. “And even the State Government can’t inference in this process. The process of appointments has been made more transparent ever since I took over the ministry,” he added.
 The Minister said he is ready to co-operate in the probe initiated by SAC to make the things clear.
 Pertinently, the SAC on Friday ordered a probe against the Minister and senior officers of his ministry for their alleged involvement in embezzlement of crores of rupees and gross irregularities in the JKCHC.
 The inquiry has been ordered by SAC bench comprising its chairperson Justice YP Nargotra and member Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain on the basis of a complaint and preliminary investigations into the case.
 The complaint against Dr Manohar, former Commissioner Secretary Cooperatives, Abdul Hamid Wani and Registrar Cooperatives, Muhammad Abbas was filed on September 15, 2011, by Farooq Ahmad Dar and Sunil Sharma.
 In their complaint, the duo had alleged that an inquiry was conducted by Manohar Lal Sharma in respect of JK Cooperative Housing Corporation which revealed that embezzlement Rs 5000 Cr was committed by a former and present Manager Directors of the Corporation.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 12 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 12 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:00 IST