J-K govt officials under cloud as cash, ration disappear

J-K govt officials under cloud as cash, ration disappear
PRADEEP DUTTA

JAMMU, April 2: Who are the most organised thieves in Jammu and Kashmir? Reports suggest that they are none other than the accused government officials. During the past fortnight 20 such officers, six of them gazetted, have been arrested by the State Vigilance Organisation (SVO).

Besides, more than 50 per cent of the theft cases registered in various police stations are against government officials. The SVO is also investigating scores of complaints filed against officials. On investigation, it was found that in most of the cases, employees of government departments were involved, sources in the police revealed.

Besides embezzlement of government funds, what are the items most of these ‘‘thieves’’ prey on? In most of the cases, stolen items comprise medicines in hospitals, telephone cables, pipes and ration items meant for the public.

Recently, Udhampur police arrested a driver and seized a truck carrying 15 tonnes of potash alum meant for purification of water. The arrest helped in blowing the lid off the ongoing nexus between the Public Health and Engineering (PHE) employees and local dealers. Investigations are on and many heads in this department are expected to roll.

R.R. Swain, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, admitted that thefts in government offices are what they are worried about. He said out of the thefts worth Rs 20 lakh reported during the past few months, more than Rs 11 lakh worth of items were stolen from government offices. Most of these cases go unchecked. ‘‘In other thefts we can easily identify the criminals and then arrest them. But in official cases, we have to be very careful and go slow, especially when high officials are involved,’’ added a senior investigating officer.

What creates difficulty for an investigating agency is when departmental heads fail to initiate action against errant employee. Unless he falls in their net, the maximum punishment they receive is suspension. ‘‘This is hardly any punishment because once he is reinstated, he gets all financial and other benefits back, thus losing nothing,’’ added a senior officer.

Deputy Inspector General (Vigilance) P.L. Gupta says: ‘‘We are an investigating agency.We have nothing to do with whatever action the government takes.’’ He claimed that during the last two months, vigilance sleuths have arrested several government employees involved in thefts worth crores.

Many a time cases have been registered by the telecom department, where it has been found that someone has either taken away the cables meant for connection or dug the ground and extracted the cables. A month and a half ago, the police arrested a person and recovered from his possession medicines that were stolen from Sri Maharaja Gulab Singh Government Hospital, Jammu.