Corruption Scandal: JKTDC Officials Divert Rs 17.5 Lakh to Personal Accounts, RTI Exposes
FA JKTDC and his associate siphons an amount of 17.5 lakh rupees in their personal account RTI reveals.
Report by Bilal Bhat
Srinagar, 29 June 2024: Pointing towards the potential misuse of funds and corruption in JKTDC official Farahat Siddique siphoned an amount of Rs 12.5 lakh while his associate transferred an amount of 5 lakh respectively an RTI filed by Awami Reporter reveals.
As per the RTI, it reads, by order of the first Appellate authority it has been revealed that Shri Siddqe Financial Advisor JKTDC (FA/CAO) has taken rupees 12.50 Lakh as imprest advance from JKTDC to his personal account for Bharat Parav 2024.
The said amount is unadjustable till date and pending with said officer,”Furthermore the RTI reveal that an amount of Rs 5 lakh has been transferred in the account of Mushtaq Ahmad Magray through the official account of JKTDC CDG-04. At the time when the centre is working day and night to improve tourism in Kashmir and end corruption, huge misappropriation of funds is taking place in JKTDC, as per the highly placed sources in JKTDC there is high end corruption and huge embezzlement of funds by the FA and one more high official figure that is under high political clout.
“Our Director is very honest and sincere person but has been misguided by a key official figure wanted in corruption he is in good books of judiciary and admistration and threatens those who voice against him,” sources wishing anonymity reveal.
The Jammu and Kashmir government in January 2019 issued an advisory refraining officials from transferring government money to their personal bank account”It is enjoined upon all the administrative secretaries to issue necessary instructions to all the subordinate offices under their administrative control to ensure strict adherence to the codal provisions relating to the receipt, custody and payments of government money,” said the advisory issued by by the than Principal Secretary, Finance, Navin K Choudhary.
It also barred opening of new bank accounts by departmental officers and drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) in any bank without prior concurrence from the Finance Department. “All the sums of money which any state officer receives in his official capacity must immediately be paid in full into nearest treasury, without any deduction whatsoever and the amount must immediately be credited by the treasury officer to the appropriate head of the account,” the order said.
The appropriation of departmental receipts for departmental expenditure is strictly prohibited, it said.”No government servant should, unless authorised by general or special orders of government, receive in his official capacity, money which is not creditable either to the Consolidated Fund or the public account,” the circular said.While speaking to Managing Director Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation Limited (JKTDC) Vivekanand Rai, IRS.; he said no such act would be spheard and he assured proper investigation and action action against Farhad Siddqe Financial Advisor JKTDC.
Meanwhile Chairman J&K RTI Movement Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat said, by asking the Bank Manager to transfer a huge amount of money into a personal accounts of JKTDC employees is an illegal act. Action must be initiated against FA and CAO of JKTDC and other employees This is a clear violation of financial rules pertaining to Public Sector undertakings and Secretary Tourism needs to take this seriously. I would appeal to the JK Anti Corruption Bureau to investigate this financial transaction soon.
