Checking illegalities, ensuring accountability

23/06/2019

Axe is all set to fall on several officers, who have been escaping the action since long, as Government has sought status of the enquiries pending in different wings of the Housing and Urban Development Department during the past five years. Moreover, this step would help in ensuring accountability in these establishments having the primary responsibility of resolving the grievances of the people and completion of vital projects. Principal Secretary to Government, Department of Housing and Urban Development has come to know that several enquiries, which were ordered by the Administrative Department in the last five years, have yet not reached the logical conclusion because of the non-serious approach of those who had been entrusted this task. Due to this, all those officials who were in the dock for committing several illegalities have remained unpunished till date and they have gathered an impression that they can go scot-free even after indulging in illegal activities and throwing rules and regulations to the winds.
Majority of these enquiries pertain to illegal appointments, facilitating encroachments in violation of Master Plans and the plans approved by the Building Operation Control Authority (BOCA), tampering of official records, embezzlement of funds, financial irregularities in the execution of works, allotment of contracts in violation of rules and laid down guidelines and misutilization of funds etc. Taking serious note of inordinate delay in taking these enquiries to the logical conclusion, the Housing and Urban Development Department on the directions of Principal Secretary has dashed a communication to the Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations, Vice-Chairman of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, Vice-Chairmen of Jammu and Srinagar Development Authorities, Directors of Urban Local Bodies, Managing Director of J&K Housing Board, Chief Architect, J&K Architects Organization, Chief Town Planners, Chief Engineer Urban Environment Engineering Department, Director Building Centre, Chief Executive Officer of Katra Development Authority and the Chief Executive Officers of Urban Development Agency/ Kashmir/ Jammu. With this axe will fall on all those officers who even after committing several illegalities have remained unpunished till date and moreover, the initiative of taking pending enquiries to logical conclusion will also help in ensuring accountability and transparency in the functioning of 11 wings of the Housing and Urban Development Department. Unless strict action is taken after completion of pending enquiries there cannot be any deterrent effect and the step initiated by the Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department will break the myth of the erring officials that they can go scot-free after committing one after another illegality".

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