By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar : Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has asserted that attempts to drag his name in the forest scandal would not dilute his determination to fight corruption in Jammu & Kashmir. He said he was ready to have CBI inquiry into the alleged wanton exploitation of forest wealth in Doda district in late 80’s and early 90’s. However, he added that the irregularities probed by the Kundal Committee would not be referred to the central agency.
The Chief Minister was talking with media persons here after inspecting some ongoing development projects including the Legislature and museum complexes.
Referring to a news story run by a national news channel yesterday and carried by a section of the press today, the Chief Minister said that the report was one sided and highlighted the allegations made by the two tainted officers of the forest department whose misdeeds had been established by the Kundal Committee which recommended their dismissal from service. He said elements who had been proceeded against for corrupt practices since he became the Chief Minister had ganged up and were trying to drag his person into controversies in an attempt to dilute his resolve against corruption. Nothing, he asserted, would dissuade him from his agenda to eradicate the menace from the state.
The Chief Minster said that before filing the report, the news channel ought to have ascertained the record of the two officers whose case it was unwittingly pushing forward. He said one of the two officers had dual citizenship and traveled on four assumed names from six residential addresses, four of which were found to be fake. He said the person traveled 23 times between USA and India and stayed in US for about 14 years. He said after his Indian passport had expired he held the post of MD, State Forest Corporation despite being a US citizen. He said he also drew the salary of the period he was in US. He said the second official’s service book showed that he had joined the government service at the age of mere 14. How was it possible, he asked and said that the person had been initially appointed as very junior level employee but managed to reach the position of General Manager. He said at least 8 enquiries had been instituted against him for wrong conduct.
Mr. Azad said that the Kundal Committee appointed to investigate into the irregularities in the forest department had proved the case against both these officials and recommended their termination from service. He said the two officials in order to avoid further action against them had gone to the court and were now trying to malign the Chief Minister in a bid to dilute his resolve to fight corrupt elements. He said the hearing of the case in the High Court was listed for today and the timing of the telecast of the news report and its publication by a section of the press had only furthered their interest. He said he would have appreciated if the news story was based on the allegations of some politician but making the petition of the two former officials with such a track record as its basis had raised questions about its credibility and intent. He asked the media to understand the conspiracy and continue its support to him for eradication of corruption. He said the unscrupulous elements feeling the pain of the war against corruption had to be discouraged.
The Chief Minister referred to the documents displayed by the news channel as evidence against him and said that there was nothing in these letters that the viewers were made to believe. He showed the letters to the media persons and said one of these addressed by the then Commissioner & Secretary, Forest, Mr. Najmus Saqib to the Commissioner & Secretary, Finance, B. B. Vyas was about seeking the latter’s “cooperation in bringing to book some unscrupulous elements including officials who have played a role in wanton exploitation of forest wealth in Doda district since late 80s/early 90s.” He said the letter does not refer to any of his relatives and talks about the period when he was out of the State. He asked how does it involve Ghulam Nabi Azad? He said whoever had vandalized the forests in 8os and 90s must be punished according to the law. He said the concerned officials who had shut their eyes on the exploitation of forests then would also not be spared. He announced that he would have the matter investigated by the CBI and take appropriate action.
About the other letter displayed by the news channel as the so-called evidence, the Chief Minister said that it was a representation by the SFC Working Contractors of Jammu Province and not from his brother who was incidentally one of the office bearers of the Contractors’ Association, requesting for parity in the rates of transportation of extracted timber in Kashmir and Jammu. He said while the per kilometer transportation rate in Kashmir was 9 paise it was only 2 paise in Jammu division where the forests existed in more difficult terrain of Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Rajouri and Poonch. He said when he enquired about the reason of acute shortage of timber in the State he was told that since there was wide disparity in rates of transportation of timber, they contractors of Jammu division had migrated to Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as they did not find it lucrative to carry on their business at such low rates. He said the migration of contractors had resulted in 80% decline in timber extraction in Jammu division. He said it was in the interest of the State to have parity in rates and address the scarcity of timber by letting the contractors to carry on extraction in their own state rather than in neigbouring states.
The Chief Minister said that he had marked the representation of the Contractors to the then Commissioner & Secretary, Forest for discussion as was the normal procedure about such matters. He said the latter forwarded it to the Managing Director, State Forest Corporation asking for “a self contained note indicating the latest position in the matter”. “How does it show that I have favoured any of my relatives”, he asked. He strongly refuted the allegation that he ever held a meting of the forest officials to benefit any of his relatives. When a reporter referred to a meeting somewhere in April or May last year, he said the meeting was held to sort out the disparity in transportation rates in Kashmir and Jammu divisions. There was no question of extending any favour to my relatives, he added.
The Chief Minister said that he was the first political leader in the country who had written to the respective Chief Ministers of J&K asking them not to entertain any of his relatives if they came for any favour to them. He said he wrote these letters as back as in 1983 and 1987. He said after taking over as the Chief Minister of J&K in 2002, the first thing he did was to issue a circular asking all Commissioners, Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners not to entertain any request of favour by his relatives. He said this communication was also widely publicized through print and electronic media. He said none of his relatives had been given any assignment since he took over as the Chief Minister. He said none of his relatives lived with him. In fact, he said, he had left his home decades back in pursuance of education and political career at the national level. He said if any of his relatives were involved in any irregularities, he would face the consequences like any other guilty citizen.