JKPCC Scam: Crime Branch conducts raids in Kashmir
Srinagar, Mar 06: The Crime Branch of police on Friday carried out raids at several locations in Ganderbal, Shopian and Kupwara districts in connection with major scams in that were unearthed in JKPCC last year.
Pertinently, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had last year handed over the investigation to the Crime Branch, which registered an FIR and started probe.
An official of Crime Branch while divulging details of raids said, “Raids are presently going on at several places in Ganderbal, Kupwara and Shopian districts and our sleuths are verifying documents at raided places”.
It is pertinent to mention that during the Governor’s rule last year, the case was handed over to Crime Branch. The probe was ordered amid numerous complaints about the functioning of JKPCC, particularly relating to corruption in civil contracts, illegality in appointments at multiple levels and excessive cost and time overruns. The probe followed the appointment of a fact-finding committee by the government to look into all these allegations.
The committee, as per the government, looked into the manner of awarding contracts often on nomination basis without following transparent tendering procedures; diverting funds from one project to other leading to a large number of incomplete projects and embezzlement of funds.
Apart from these, the committee also looked into irregularities in appointments at various levels, including in that of the Managing Director, inefficiency in functioning and huge time and cost overruns in project implementation, reasons for estimates for construction being much higher than those of the PWD.
It had submitted a voluminous report bringing out in detail large irregularities in the operation of the JKPCC and recommended on improving the corporation, a government spokesman had said at the time of announcing the Crime Branch probe.
It is pertinent to mention that Dilip Thusoo was promoted as Managing Director (MD) JKPCC by the government in 2008 and a year later he was attached to GAD by Omar Abdullah regime for allegedly providing wrong information to the Chief Minister. A few months later, Thusoo was reinstated and appointed as MD J&K Housing Board. He was later given charge of Secretary Sports Council. Subsequently, the then PDP-BJP coalition government again brought back Thusoo as MD JKPCC. (KNS)
