Total Confusion! To hoodwink the J&K government, agriculture department Poonch planted  stories showing its fake professional dedication  Part-4

Total Confusion! To hoodwink the J&K government, agriculture department Poonch planted  stories showing its fake professional dedication  Part-4

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: The confusion level of the agriculture department Poonch has reached to a questionable level that the officers have suddenly started planting stories in some local newspapers and YouTube platforms through some slapdash people in the fourth estate, showing fake achievements reports and self-proclaimed dedication on the field.

This act is seen as an attempt by the department to dodge the government so that the anti-graft agencies never start a detailed investigation into foul plays under various schemes that were scripted over the years in the Poonch district by some officials of the department. “POONCH TODAY” has already published in three parts that the blue-eyed department officials over the years played havoc with government schemes and the desired result did not reach the farmers on the ground. Even there is a big question mark on the full implementation of the high-profile HADP scheme having 29 projects. After exposure of their loopholes by the “POONCH TODAY,” the department officials have risen from their slumber and have started planting stories in some newspapers, and in those stories, only self-made claims without any logic were published on behalf of the agriculture officers. The focus was on the mushroom production only, but there was no mention of the performance of 29 projects of the HADP and other Centrally sponsored schemes and UT Capex. The department failed to mention anything about its achievement under all the schemes because, internally, they know that the officials have done nothing concrete on the ground. It was published by “POONCH TODAY” that farmers were directed by the department to purchase machinery items from selected shops only. Moreover, in GEM purchasing, some officials regularly dodge the farmers in lieu of getting their share from the companies. In the maximum polygreen house project, desired technical formalities were not followed because the department officials have a fixed understanding with the companies. Harassment of officials by the top officers has become a routine affair because the concerned officers wanted to shift public attention from the failure of the department in achieving desired results under different schemes to other unnecessary things. On the one hand, the department officials have made tall claims in the local newspaper reports that the department has taken record initiatives for strengthening the agriculture economy, but in the officials letters, which are available with “POONCH TODAY,” the department has clearly mentioned that only 30% of funds were used up to September 2024 and directed the staff to spend all funds by the 30th of September, when the Model Code of Conduct was in force. It’s a clear indication that the department wanted to show its performance on paper and not on the ground with fake reports. With such questionable acts, the department officers intended to dodge the government with false claims, fearing an action from the government following the publishing of regular reports by “POONCH TODAY.” Sources in the Civil Secretariat, pleading anonymity, told “POONCH TODAY” that the top officers of the agriculture department are not happy because they feel that due to the weak attitude of the agriculture department officials of the Poonch district, the credibility of the department has suffered a lot in the eyes of the government. Moreover, some official letters of top officers of the agriculture department are available with “POONCH TODAY,” which clearly shows that the claims of the top chairs under different schemes are not matching and points towards questionable performances behind the curtains. There are also reports that the issue of long stays of officers for years in Poonch district was also discussed at the top level, and an appropriate action may be taken by the government to shift those officers who were not transferred for years. Those who joined the department were never transferred from the district; as a result, they got full freedom to be a part of various malpractices within the department. In the recently planted newspaper stories, the departmental officials tried their best to dodge the government with the false claims of achievements, but on the ground, the official letters, which are only available with “POONCH TODAY,” tell the other side of the story. Blue-eyed department officials were seen saying that they have the backing of their top bosses, but the continuous silence of the Principal Secretary Agriculture and Director Agriculture on the horrible state of affairs in the Poonch district shows that nobody is ready to investigate the matter as it’s a question of the reputation of the department. The same is the practice in some districts of the Jammu division, where a large number of agriculture officials have wreaked havoc on government funding through different schemes, but unfortunately, those have never come into the public domain. Will the government order a high-level inquiry into the fake achievement claims of the agriculture department for years under different schemes, especially under the HADP, to bring to justice those who failed to implement PM Modi’s vision of strengthening the agriculture economy and on the ground?