‘Govt's probe into Roshni Scheme scam only on papers'
Culprits involved roaming free
Srinagar, Mar 9: The probe into the alleged bungling in the Roshni Scheme has been shelved by the government and is all set to give the much controversial scheme a silent burial. Will the government succeed in its intent is a million dollar question as the scheme has been challenged in the J&K High Court at Jammu and government has been so fall seemingly responding slow on the queries and interim orders of the High Court.
The government had assured many times that probe will be held in the Roshni Scheme scam. Despite that no initiative has been taken by the government to unveil the facts and punish the culprits involved into the scam, an official told a news agency.
Shockingly, the then chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad under a well thought out plan devised a scheme under the guise of ‘ROSHNI' to regularised and legitimize the illegal usurping of state land by the strong and mighty by dint of their political clout, money and muscle power. The government blunted all principles of rational and fairness by rewarding crores of rupees as incentives to the encroachers and illegal occupants besides regularising the state land. The Northlines has already published the names of those who usurped the state land plus incentives worth crores of rupees in its issues in February 2017.
The official said 229691 kanals and 2 malras of state land have transferred to 50157 beneficiaries in J&K of which 19293 kanals of land have been transferred to 10328 beneficiaries in Kashmir and 210398 kanals to 39829 people in Jammu region under the Roshni Act.
“Rs 54,21,95,760 revenue has been generated in Kashmir on account of regularization of un-authorized land under the Act and Rs 24,25,81,922 in Jammu region,” the official said.
Earlier, some legislators had said in last Budget Session in Srinagar in 2016 that that there was a huge bungling in allotting land under the Roshni Act to beneficiaries.
“When the Roshni Scheme was launched, the then government had claimed that it will generate a revenue of Rs 25,000 crore and the money will be spent on construction of new power projects. But only Rs 74 crore revenue has been generated so far,” they had said. “It seems a big fraud. The land has been transferred to influential politicians and bureaucrats. The basic purpose of generating revenue of Rs 25,000 crore has been defeated. Government should unveil the names of politicians and bureaucrats who have benefitted under the Scheme. But the government is hiding their names,” some legislators had accused.
Basharat Bukhari, who was then Revenue and Rehabilitation minister had admitted that Scheme was started to generate a revenue of Rs 25,000 crore. “I was then working in Radio Kashmir when it was appreciated that it will generate revenue of Rs 25,000 crore and helps the state to start new power projects in J&K. It has generated revenue of only Rs 78 crore,” he had said.
He had assured the House that an enquiry will be done to unveil the facts. He had said the empowered committee has approved conferment of ownership rights for state land measuring 487 kanals of which 327 kanals have been transferred under the Roshni Scheme with the SMC limits in Srinagar. Similarly in Jammu district he said 16825 kanals have been transferred to 4040 beneficiaries under the Scheme. But nothing has been done so far to unveil the facts. (KNS)
