Srinagar: Stating that more officials are to be grilled in connection with Jamm and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) misappropriation case, the State Vigilance Organization Chief Muneer Khan said that he has directed all officers to ensure early conclusion of all corruption cases registered in the organization.
Khan said that in connection with the misappropriation case of JAKEDA, registered under FIR No:-10/2015 P/S VOK, more officials are to be questioned. The investigation is on in the case. We have called more officials for questioning. I can say that who so ever will be found involved in misappropriating the funds, will be booked according to the law, the Director vigilance said.
It may be noted that on 13 March last month, the organization arrested Shafqat Sultan, (CEO) Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) in Solar Home Lighting Systems (HSL) scam. In 2009-2010, Shafat as the then CEO was accused of bungling while purchasing solar lighting systems. According to the charge sheet, he purchased the lighting system at higher rates incurring heavy losses to the state exchequer.
Muneer Khan further told KNS that he has directed the officers of organization to expedite investigation into corruption cases. The officers of Vigilance Organization have been directed to speed up the investigation process and ensure that corruption-related cases are disposed of in a time-bound manner, he said.
He said that the officers have also been asked to make better use of latest gadgets and technologies in collecting evidence while dealing with such cases.
Sources said that initial investigation has revealed that more than 1 crore was misappropriated by Shafqat Sultan, (CEO) who was arrested last month. The investigations has revealed that the order for HSLs was made only when the five days were remaining in the expiry of the contract in which the quotation price was less for the purchase of HSLs then the price they were ordered. Sultan deliberately placed the order to BEL at higher rates which caused the loss of Rs. 1493/- per unit on the purchase of 6872 units of SHLs which incurred the 6total loss of Rs. 1, 02, 59,896, sources said adding further investigations are on in the case.
Sources maintained that over the years JKEDA has utterly failed to come up to the expectations of public in general and government in particular.
The JKEDA was assigned for developing and deploying new and renewable energy for supplementing the energy requirements providing of solar power to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, but so far it has failed to do so. One can judge the malfunctioning of the department from the fact that JKEDA has placed supply orders with repeat orders to the agencies which have defaulted in the terms. Surprisingly these suppliers have enjoyed the benefits of repeated orders, one of the insiders insisting not to be named said.
Sources said that over the years the agency had failed in survey of remote villages and in preparing the DPRs and lists of the beneficiaries. At one time the Agency received Rs 2.86 crore for the purpose from the GoI but the same fund was utilized on unapproved items like purchase of vehicles, POL, traveling allowance, air fares, wages, repair of vehicles etc.The same was also pointed out by the CAG in its recent report, sources said.
(KNS)
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