“While the Estates Deptt had submitted a list of 53 unauthorized occupants of Estates bungalows to the High Court, it continued to shelter them by not only allowing their illegal retention of such mansions but also providing them all luxurious items of furniture, fixtures, smart TVs, Refrigerators and other accessories in such bungalows out of Public exchequer”.
This was divulged by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh, Former Education Minister and State President JKNPP while speaking to media persons today. He said that Estates Deptt had through given details of illegal occupations but deliberately avoided to inform the High Court about the facilitates having been provided to such usurpers of govt mansions which costed crores to state exchequer every year. Seeking action against the Estates Deptt and govt functionaries for conceding such valuable information from the court, Mr. Singh sought initiation of Suo-moto contempt proceedings against the delinquent officers for keeping the High Court in the dock. He said that the tax-payers money was being looted by the BJP and its allies not only through the Estate Deptt but also through the Police Deptt and its security wing by providing huge paraphernalia of security staff and vehicles to the leaders of these parties without any entitlement. He was addressing a press conference in Jammu today.
Expressed his dismay over the silence of vigilante organizations including CBI, ED and ACB over the open violation of SOPs and guidelines in the matter of allotment of government accommodation and conferment of undue and illegitimate benefits upon the political persons owing allegiance to BJP and JKAP, Mr. Singh said it was shocking to note the immunity granted to such blue-eyed leaders. And while the opposition leaders including ex-Ministers and heads of recognized political parties were hounded out of Estates quarters’ years back through police force, the said BJP and JKAP workers were allowed to retain the same thereby providing the most glaring example of present govt’s dictatorial and autocratic policies besides being indicative of patronized corruption in BJP rule, rued Harsh.
“Not only that the Apni Party had been conferred undue favours by allotting govt accommodation for its political office by defying the orders of the High Court strange are the ways of the present regime which provides the most glaring example of the famous proverb “Rules are for fools” and while the govt was demolishing/evicting the poor, marginalized and unemployed in the name of illegal occupation of State lands, it had granted a sort of immunity to the corrupt leaders of ruling party who had encroached huge chunks of State and Forest lands worth crores.
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 JKAP were provided security vehicles and huge paraphernalia of security personnel while denying bare minimum security to opposition leaders. He said that the even top leadership of recognized political parties has also been divested of their due security by withdrawing their escorts, vehicles as well as security PSOs despite facing militants’ threats. The security agencies had withdrawn the security cover of majority of opposition leaders and allotted the same to even the small time lower rung workers of BJP. He reminisced that only a few years back 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.
Seeking a high level probe preferably through CBI into the whole gamut of illegal allotments of govt bungalows and huge encroachments of govt lands and properties by BJP leaders besides provision of govt vehicles and huge security paraphernalia to them, Mr. Singh called for punitive action against the officers who were acting more as BJP servants than public servants. He said that non adherence to any set of norms and differential treatment of political parties by abusing of public exchequer and conferring benefits upon favourities was not only a crime but a financial scam which needed due attention of the Lt. Governor, Chief Secretary and other anti-corruption agencies.
Mr. Gagan Pratap Singh, Mr. Pushpinder Singh and Mr. Parshotam Parihar senior leaders of JKNPP were also present in the press conference.
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