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CORRUPTION CROSSES ALL LIMITS IN J&K, NONE TO TAKE COGNIZANCE: HARSH DEV

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 4/21/2021 12:39:03 PM

Jammu, Apr 20 Alleging the prevalence of a deep rooted culture of patronized corruption in J&K, Harsh Dev Singh Chairman-JKNPP and former Minister said that all previous records on the subject stood beaten by an unholy nexus between the corrupt politicians and officers working in tandem to loot the resources of the erstwhile state. “While all the tall slogans of BJP regime of providing ‘corruption free system’, ‘Accountability and transparency’ had proved a hoax, the erstwhile state of J&K seemed to be in the grip of a powerful and corrupt mafia with anti corruption and other vigilante bodies having become redundant or become defunct. The meaning and relevance of corruption too had underwent a complete change under the BJP regime. The dishonest, irregular and immoral acts of BJP leaders, besides their fraudulent bargains and scams seemed to have been excluded from the preview of corruption with the anti graft laws becoming applicable only to the ‘inconvenients’. The most glaring example is the abandonment of the issue of Roshni scam by BJP after one of its own MLAs was reported by the media to be involved in the nasty scheme. He was addressing a press conference in Jammu today. Pointing towards the illegal usurping of govt premises including ministerial bungalows by the BJP leaders, Mr. Singh said that such unauthorized occupation of public premises provided the most glaring example of political corruption. And the nexus between the corrupt officers and politicians was evident from the fact that no action had been taken to evict them despite categoric orders of the High Court. Not only that the said leaders were availing all facilities in the illegally occupied houses at govt expense without paying any rent and still the govt was harping on the slogans of ‘good governance’ and corruption free dispensation. Not only the Estates Bungalows but the security vehicles and PSOs were also being allotted purely on political considerations, said Mr. Singh. He pointed out that all the Ex-MLAs and Ex- Ministers of BJP and even petty workers were provided fleets of security vehicles and a huge paraphernalia of security personnel who were paid out of tax payer’s money. He reminisced that only last year a report had been made public that a BJP worker of Kashmir had been provided as many as ten PSOs. Likewise many other insignificant people had been provided huge security at public expense in the most arbitrary manner purely on the whims and fancies of the helmsmen. There were several instances where huge paraphernalia of govt staff and PSOs placed at the disposal of these BJP leaders were being used by them for their personal and political gains. There were examples where PSOs and other govt employees were being used by these BJP leaders as domestic aids and for working in their agricultural fields and even for milking the cows and buffaloes in the dairy units established by these leaders. Revealing further, Singh said that several BJP Ministers were accused of promoting transfer industry in the State, allotment of works without tenders and illegal appointments made in govt. departments on monetary and extraneous considerations. Moreover, several Ministers and MLAs had encroached huge State lands and Forest lands whose adverse reports had been submitted even by the investigating agencies against them. He said a BJP MLA rose from rags to riches within no time and had been accused of raising two palatial bungalows after elections besides raising huge moveable and immoveable assets in Jammu city and its vicinity which were disproportionate to his known sources of income. He further disclosed that in replies of RTIs, State land measuring 22 kanals and 15 marlas was found to be in illegal possession of said MLA and his family who had further regularized 9 Kanals 15 Marlas of state land under the nasty Roshni scheme besides he having been involved in swindling subsidies from Agriculture and Horticulture departments which were supposed to be meant for the poor and the BPL families. “Several unemployed youth had claimed to be duped and looted by the said BJP MLA in the name of employment besides extortions from employees in the name of transfers”.