SRINAGAR: The arrest of a corrupt official of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the main body regulating constructions in the city, appears to have opened a Pandora’s box.
The authorities Friday set up an inquiry committee that will look into complaints about six officials alleged to have raised millions through literally selling building permissions for the illegal constructions in and around the city. But the move is widely seen as insufficient with many suspecting this as a bid to shield the big fish of the corruption mafia that is plaguing the Corporation.
Commissioner of SMC, Ghulam Nabi Qasba, has issued a formal order directing a four-member committee to probe the alleged corrupt practices of the Corporation’s field staff. The Committee has been asked to file a detailed report about the permissions the accused officials have granted to different persons allowing them to construct structures at different places of Srinagar city.
“?In reference to reports pouring in through various volunteers and also news reports with regard to illegal constructions taking place in the Zone West HMT, Malroo, Zainakoot, Bemina, Lawaypora, Umar Abad and other places and in this regard a four member committee headed by Joint Commissioner Planning has been constituted,” reads the formal order vide number 1178 of 2014 issued by Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation . Three other members of the Committee will be Secretary, Chief Enforcement Officer and Divisional Town Planner.
The Committee, according to the order, shall also identify the officials and officers who must have connived with the violators of the building laws in raising the illegal constructions.
Mentioning the names of the six officials against whom the Corporation has received complaints for allowing illegal constructions, the order reads that, the Committee shall take into cognizance the permissions issued by six officers resulting constructions which must have come up as a result of these permissions.
These officers who figured in the list of accused as per SMC formal order are Ghulam Rasool Dar (already in police lock-up) Abdul Hamid Mir (Ward Officer W-26), Muhammad Jameel (B.I Ward 26), Abdul Rashid Parray (Ward Officer W-25) Abdul Hamid Hurra (Ward Officer W-25) and Umer-u-Din Chawhan (Ward Officer W-23).
These officers have been directed to the Joint Commissioner Palnnings office for the early completion of the inquiry. The order further reads that, Altaf Ahmed GIS Personnel shall workout the details with regard to scientific evidence through remote sensing of the West Zone built up areas for the period July 2011, July 2012, July 2013 and July 2014. This evidence shall be used by the four-member committee for completion of the inquiry, the order reads.
The move, however, has not gone down well with the conscious quarters of Kashmir society. “If top officials of an organization happen to be corrupt the head of that organization cannot be absolved. How can he appoint a committee from within the same stock of officials whose credibility stands shattered,” said Abdul Qayoom, a social activist. “The government should not ignore this issue. Let the courts take a suo motto cognizance and let the accountability commission wake up. An outside probe is mandatory for such a brazen situation,” Qayoom adds.
An official of the Corporation was caught red-handed on Thursday accepting bribe from a person in lieu of facilitating his illegal constructions in Bagiyas area of Srinagar city . The official has confessed that he in league with other two officials received lakhs of rupees as bribe from the Bagiyas person for allowing him to carry on the construction work.
Pertinently, police in presence of Tehsildar Khanyar arrested SMC Enforcement officer managing ward number 25 and 26 in North Srinagar city near Karan Nagar while accepting a bribe of Rs 32,000 from a person.
Police sources said that during questioning, the accused SMC official revealed that besides Rs 32,000, he in league with two other officials of the Corporation had collected huge sums as bribe from Bagiyas resident.
Sources added that the tainted official during questioning confessed that ill-gotten money goes from top to bottom. The arrested official according to sources confirmed that majority of the SMC officials allow ‘hassle-free’ construction works in Srinagar city after receiving bribe from the violators.
An official on condition of anonymity said that at the time of arrest we not only recovered the marked money (bribe amounting to Rs 32,000) from the tainted official but in his other pocket they recovered another wade of Rs. 30000.
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