Doubtful payments disbursed in Irrigation and Flood Control Department for blue eyed Contactors; X.En office staff major culprit

Doubtful payments disbursed in Irrigation and Flood Control Department for blue eyed Contractors; X.En office staff major culprit

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: As Irrigation and Flood Control department remained in news from the last five years because huge funds in several crores were withdrawn after September 2014 flood and many inquiry committees were formed by the government, but people are still waiting for the result of those committees formed to look into the allegations of corruption.  Earlier, on reported brazen frauds in Irrigation and Flood Control Department, government constituted a committee and appointed a former X.En PWD as Inquiry officer, but major corrupt players of Irrigation Department played a mischievous role and influenced the report. An Engineer of PWD department who was also a part of that committee, pleading anonymity, said,  “Ek Engineer doosre Engineer ko kaise fasa sakta hai. Kuch nahi hota aisi inquiry reports mein.” Such a statement shows that corrupt officials from various department support each other. However the practice of withdrawing funds on questionable works has remained a continuous routine in the department. Sources said that majority of payments in Irrigation and flood Control department were released in Mendhar tehsil where authenticity of works on ground always remained under question. On the repairing of various Khulls, department withdrew huge funds. Even, few renowned Contractors were given out of the way benefit in lieu of hefty commission. Shockingly, many culvers constructed by Irrigation Department have been encroached without any reaction from X.En and AEE. Even some encroachers raised shops over water bodies with the full involvement of successive Executive Engineers in the heart of Poonch city. Works were allotted without tenders and few workers of various leaders were adjusted out of the way. Thereby huge murder of government funds was taken place. The practice of withdrawing funds on those works which never exist on the ground has become a  routine. It seems that Irrigation Department is being run by few Contractors and not X.En, AEES and JEs. A massive fraud in several Cores can come out if government conducts a high level inquiry into all works of Irrigation and Flood Control Department for the last six years.