Jammu: In a positive development, the Industries and Commerce Department withdrew its recent order regarding the ‘out of turn’ promotion of a junior contractual employee in the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI).
“The government order No. 72- JK(IND) of 2022 dated 13.04.2022 issued under endorsement number IC-EDI/13/2022 dated 13.04.2022 shall be deemed to have been withdrawn ab-initio,” read an order issued by Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Ranjan P. Thankur on Friday.
The KNT on Thursday had filed a story highlighting the concerns of senior employees of the JKEDI over the earlier order issued on April 13 under which an assistant faculty member was directed to report to the administrative department to function as a technical officer (JKEDI) to aid and assist the secretary in the Industries and Commerce Department in dealing matters related to JKEDI.
After the issue came to light, the Principal Secretary took note and immediately withdrew the previous order.
The government decision has brought relief to the senior employees in the JKEDI who requested the Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, to look at the pending issues and concerns of the employees for their redressal.
“We are happy that the government has not made it an issue of prestige and withdrew the unjust order and lived to its promise of no favoritism,” a senior told news agency Kashmir News Trust.
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He said there are several other issues that need to be taken note of by the government including fraudulent double drawal of funds of Rs 15.44 crore from the government during the execution of work of EDI Jammu campus at Bari Brahmana, Phase-I.
Indian Audit and Accounts Department, Office of the Principal Accountant General (Audit) Jammu and Kashmir have already red-flagged the issue in its communication in January.
As per the communication, the administrative approval for the construction of the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) Campus at Bari Brahmana. Jammu at a technically vetted cost of Rs.85.46 crore (Phase-1: Rs.50.74 crore; Phase-II: Rs.34.72 crore).”
The High Power Committee in its second meeting dated 10-10-2018 approved the work of EDI Jammu Campus at L.E. Bari Brahmana, Phase-II with final approved cost of Rs 50.74 crore and with an amount of Rs.43.82 crore to be funded under the languishing scheme to be completed by 31-10-2019.
“…Analysis of execution of project and payments made to the contractors revealed that payments of Rs.15.44 crore had already been made to the contractors before the same were received under the languishing scheme which included payments of Rs.9.75 crore made prior to sanctioning of the project by the High Power Committee in October 2018 under the languishing scheme as per detail appended with this Audit Memo,” the communication read.
It was, however, seen in the audit that passed and paid vouchers in respect of which payment of Rs.15.44 crore was authorized in favor of the contractors were again utilized by the EDI for obtaining funds of Rs.15.44 crore from JKIDFC under languishing projects and in this way, the EDI had committed the fraudulent act by uploading/ submitting vouchers of Rs.15.44 crore, payment against which was already drawn from the Government, the communication said.
It said the JKIDFC had failed to detect such a fraudulent act of the EDI which resulted in a double drawal of funds of Rs.15.44 crore from the Government. (KNT)
