Kuch gadbad hai! Who is protecting the erring officials of the agriculture department in Poonch despite having full information of various frauds?

Kuch gadbad hai! Who is protecting the erring officials of the agriculture department in Poonch despite having full information of various frauds?

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: Despite having full information about the number of frauds that were scripted in the agriculture department Poonch by some tainted officials, no concrete action has yet been taken by the government, and it raised a big question mark on the top officers of the department, who seem to have protected the erring officials.

Commission culture in machinery items and through other activities becomes a routine exercise. Moreover, the department used to provide underweight mushroom bags to the beneficiaries, but on paper, it shows the same weight as per the government policy, and this way, some officials used to earn a huge sum of money from selected companies by reducing the weight, which is nearly 2 kg per bag. Power tillers were purchased at high rates in lieu of commission from the selected shops. Subordinate officials were pressured by the top boss to clear bills related to power tillers at high rates, and when some of the subordinate officials refused to sign the bill, they had to face the wrath of the C.A.O. Poonch. Moreover, items purchased through GEM failed to be utilized on the ground because the main agenda of the top department officers always remained to hit commission by any means. Time and again, it was published by “POONCH TODAY” that a huge compromise had taken place in the HADP project, and fearing an action from the anti-graft agencies, the department officers from top to bottom have maintained a guarded silence with a hidden agenda to avoid things going worse. Sources in the administration said that a high-level nexus was operating in the department, and the said nexus gave a massive setback to the government exchequer over the years. The matter reached the office of Agriculture Minister Javed Dar, and on his directions, MLA Haveli Ajaz Jan also visited the department office to see the things on the ground. Even after the visit of MLA Haveli, not a single action was initiated against the tainted officials of the department, who seem to have taken everything for granted. The issue of brazen frauds in the department in Poonch district was also in the notice of Principal Secretary Agriculture, but the silence being adopted by every top officer shows that something is fishy behind the curtains, and that’s why the top department officials seem to have protected the erring officials till now. Sources within the administration also said that the C.A.O. was misguided on various issues by some blue-eyed officials who always gave priority to their self-interest as they remained the masterminds behind every scam for years. There is also a big question mark on the district administration, which has failed to initiate an inquiry into the matter. The unnecessarily rude behavior of the top officials with department officials has become the talk of the town, as locals were seen discussing the issue in every nook and corner of the city. Failing to ensure the implementation of all the government schemes on the ground, the top officers found a new strategy to harass the lower-rung officials to divert the attention of everybody. On paper, the department has shown huge results under all the schemes, but on the ground, the story is otherwise. As the agriculture department never remained in the media limelight, the blue-eyed officials took this fact to their advantage and indulged in massive financial malpractices and gross violations of various guidelines under all the schemes. The way the top department officers who are running the affairs of the department from the top maintained a guarded silence, it’s a clear indication that from top to bottom, everybody is involved. Only a high-level inquiry from anti-graft agencies could bring the curtains off from the various frauds that were scripted over the years in the department silently.