CM’s Directive Falls on Deaf Ear
Despite
Moratorium JKPCC Purchased three SUVs, drained Rs. 75 Lac on
Fuel
Jammu, 13/Dec/2013: Ignoring the directives of the Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation,
JKPCC, State owned construction unit has not only purchased three luxurious
Sport Utility Vehicles, SUVs Renault
Duster but also drained and burnt fuel worth Rs. 75,42804 during the year
2012-13. The corporation has also flouted the state transport policy regarding
issuance of vehicles to the government functionaries.
In response to an RTI query
the JKPCC has apprised the applicant and RTI Activist Mohammad Yasin Mir that
in the month of September 2013 the corporation had possessed three SUVs out of
which one Renault Duster vehicle bearing temporary number AN-3819 stands
attached with Chairman JKPCC, in charge minister R & B, another SUV bearing
no. AN 3818 is attached with commissioner secretary PWD and the third bearing
no. AN-3820 is yet to be deployed with someone. The reply by the JKPCC has also
revealed that it has fleet of 25 Vehicles, including 19 Cars and 6 commercial
vehicles like Trucks and Tippers. Though
despite having its own fleet of vehicles, the corporation has also hired 6
vehicles from the private parties without inviting tenders in violation of rules
and have made payment of Rs. 488000. While sharing this information with the media,
RTI activist Raman Sharma said that Prima facially it is evident that the state
owned corporation has purchased three luxurious vehicles in violation of the
orders of the honourable Chief Minister Omar Abdullah where in year 2010 while
chairing 85th meeting of the Board of
Directors the C.M had
directed JKPCC for putting a moratorium on purchase of high cost vehicles for
next five years (till 2015 ). Though the CM has directed that the vehicles
required for field workers should be given preference over the high cost luxury
ones and the proposal for purchase of vehicles should be got approved not only
by the Chairman (Minister in-charge) of JKPCC but also by the Chief Minister.
Raman also referred an order of the transport department bearing no. TR-33
SMG/2012 dated 03/06/2013 where is it being ordered that only Cabinet
Ministers/Minister of State or other dignitaries having the status of the rank
of a minister can use (SUV) Tata Safari Type Vehicles . He questioned the
motive of the JKPCC to purchase three Renault Dusters despite the moratorium
out of which one is yet to be deployed with someone which shows that there was
not any emergency for the department to purchase these vehicles. In the RTI
reply it is also revealed that flouting the transport department’s guidelines even
the private secretary of the Chairman
is in possession of an Ambassador Car JK02G-3418 along with a permanent driver
for which also the fuel charges are borne by the corporation. An amount of Rs.
364796 as fuel charges is also borne by the corporation for its vehicles
attached with the Civil Secretariat that too without any formal request from
any quarter. A formal complaint to the Chief
Minister has been made by activist Raman Sharma (via CM Grievance Cell no 45049)
seeking a Vigilance Probe in the matter for fixing responsibility on the officers who
ignored the directives of the chief minister and for prohibiting the
corporation to further misuse the funds of the corporation.
Published in Early Times, Kashmir Times, State Times, Rising Kashmir, Dainik Jagran and other on 14/Dec/2013 edition..
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