JAMMU: As the Slush settled, the toads have started croaking from different
directions narrating their woes and pain.
According to sources, the deputy CM Surinder Kumar Choudhary while
returning from official function at Samba paid a surprise visit at under
construction bus stand at Thandi Khui.
Instead of appreciating the project, he took to task his District Mineral Officer
(DMO) Samba as to why the construction company had not been penalised for
illegally dumping Mulba and extracting Mud. To the horror of the contractor, on
the spot fine of rupees 5.00 lacs was imposed for Malba and the DMO was
instructed to impose penalty after assessing and amount of Mud displaced
from the site
So far SO good, but the matter did not end here, a team was deployed to access
as to how much mud had been extracted from the site.
According to insiders the contractor, M/s Kapahi Construction Company could
have been slapped with fine worth crores, but no such thing happened
Not only that even Rs. 5.00 lacs has not been realised, and there is no sign of
additional fine which was supposed to be imposed after proper assessment of
the losses caused due to the extraction of mountain of mud.
The hush hush voices are aghast with the fact that this is not the first case
where such modus operandi is into play, where initial fines are imposed but
never realised and so much so many such glaring acts have also been reported
from different construction sites such as in Kashmir a whopping 80.00 lacs
was imposed on a Haryana based Construction Company but in reply to a RTI
the department admitted to have realised only Rs. 86.445/ thousand. Similarly
at Kathua Ms MEGHA Engineering & Infra Pvt. was reportedly fined Rs. 2.00
crores but so far nothing has been realised.
Dal Main Kuch Kala Hai, Yaan Dal Hi Kaali Hai, where colleagues vouch for
honesty of Director Geology Mining Mr Suraj Prakash Rakwal, KAS, but fail to
explain messy follow ups of Deputy Chief Ministers inspections and
instructions thereof, where huge on the spot fines are announced but not
realised later
