NPP submits memo in Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi
Pointing towards the illegal occupation of govt bungalows, State lands, govt vehicles etc by certain favoured politicians in J&K in defiance of all laws and SOPs, NPP President and Former Minister, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India in Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi today. He was accompanied by Mr. Gagan Pratap Singh, senior leader of the Party. The memorandum read thus:- “with a high sense of duty and Constitutional obligation as a conscientious citizen I am approaching your honour to apprise you about the brazen violation of norms, laws, guidelines and SOPs by a powerful political mafia in J&K who have usurped govt properties including palatial govt bungalows, govt lands, govt vehicles besides the security apparatus of the Police Deptt and continue to enjoy the patronage of the helmsmen. Almost every day there are reports in the media about the illegal encroachments of public properties by these political dons who continue to float above the fray and abuse the public exchequer and govt resources by defying the law of the land and contemptuously discarding the SOPs in view of their political clout.
Pertinent to mention that the Estates Deptt had only recently published a list of 53 politicians who had illegally occupied/usurped govt bungalows for the last five years with the J&K helmsmen acting as mute spectators shocking that even the vigilante organizations have not bothered to take cognizance despite repeated media reports and public complaints. The vested interests in govt have continued to shelter them by not only allowing their illegal retention of such mansions but also providing them all luxurious items of furniture, fixtures, smart TVs, Refrigerators and other accessories in such bungalows out of Public exchequer. The tax-payers money was being looted by the BJP and its allies not only through the Estate Deptt but also through the Police Deptt and its security wing by providing huge paraphernalia of security staff and vehicles to the leaders of these parties without any entitlement.
Most intriguing was the silence of vigilante organizations including CBI, ED and ACB over the open violation of SOPs and guidelines in the matter of allotment of government accommodation and conferment of undue and illegitimate benefits upon the political persons owing allegiance to BJP and JKAP. It was shocking to note the immunity granted to such blue-eyed leaders. And while the opposition leaders including Ex-Ministers and heads of recognized political parties were hounded out of Estates Quarters years back through police force, the said BJP and JKAP workers were allowed to retain the same thereby providing the most glaring example of present govt’s dictatorial and autocratic policies besides being indicative of patronized corruption in BJP rule.
Not only that the Apni Party had been conferred undue favours by allotting govt accommodation for its political office by defying the orders of the High Court. Strange are the ways of the present regime which provides the most glaring example of the famous proverb Rules are for fools and while the govt was demolishing/evicting the poor, marginalized and unemployed in the name of illegal occupation of State lands, it had granted a sort of immunity to the corrupt leaders of ruling party who had encroached huge chunks of State and Forest lands worth crores.
Not only the Estates Bungalows but the security vehicles and PSOs were also being allotted purely on political considerations. The Ex-MLAs and Ex-Ministers of BJP and JKAP were provided security vehicles and huge paraphernalia of security personnel while denying bare minimum security to opposition leaders. Even top leadership of recognized political parties has also been divested of their due security by withdrawing their escorts, vehicles as well as security PSOs despite facing militants’ threats. The security agencies had withdrawn the security cover of majority of opposition leaders and allotted the same to even the small time lower rung workers of BJP. Only a few years back a report had been made public that a BJP worker of Kashmir had been provided as many as ten PSOs. Likewise many other insignificant people had been provided huge security at public expense in the most arbitrary manner purely on the whims and fancies of the helmsmen.
While a high level probe preferably through CBI is necessary into the whole gamut of illegal allotments of govt bungalows and huge encroachments of govt lands and properties by BJP leaders besides provision of govt vehicles and huge security paraphernalia to them, we demand punitive action against the officers who were acting more as BJP servants than public servants. That the non-adherence to any set of norms and differential treatment of political parties by abusing of public exchequer and conferring benefits upon favourities was not only a crime but a financial scam which needed due attention of the your Excellency”.
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