National Conference on Monday lashed out at the Chief Minister and the PDP-BJP Government for lording over the worst phase of loot, plunder and corruption in the State and said recent revelations had hinted at the Chief Minister’s personal involvement in multi-crore scams.
In a statement issued from NC Head Office, NC Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani said a group of four Ministers in the PDP-BJP Government were lobbying in favour of a particular firm and pressurizing the Cabinet Sub-Committee to award a 350 crores contract for dredging to the firm on a single-bidder basis. “This is yet another instance when the topmost echelons of the State Government’s leadership is personally involved in mega-scale, multi-crore scams and scandals and this cannot be happening without the active patronage and involvement of the Chief Minister’s Office”, the NC Provincial President said.
The NC Provincial President said there should be a thorough probe into this lobbying effort by the Ministers in favour of a particular firm and the possibility of kickbacks to them should be investigated and exposed before the public. “Have these Ministers received kickbacks to lobby in favour of this particular firm? The people of J&K have reeled under economic distress and a governance deficit from the very day the PDP-BJP Government took over and it is disappointing that the Government is solely focussed on corruption and filing the coffers of its Ministers and leadership”, Nasir Aslam Wani added.
The NC Provincial President also demanded an objective and thorough probe into recent revelations of serious, huge irregularities and corruption in the JKPCC and said the attachment of a single officer seemed to be an attempt at covering up the Chief Minister’s and the concerned Cabinet Minister’s personal involvement in these scams. “In the telephone conversation that has gone viral, the concerned officer has clearly hinted at the involvement of the Chief Minister and in light of this there should be a probe examining the role of the Chief Minister in the award of various multi-crore contracts in JKPCC without any due tendering process in favour of the kith and kin of various Ministers and close business associates of the Chief Minister and her family’, the NC Provincial President added.
The NC Provincial President lashed out at the Government for breaking all possible records of loot, plunder, nepotism and corruption. “This Government has compromised the transparency of our public institutions by selling hundreds of contracts to a select list of firms and contractors who are personally associated with Senior Ministers and have the direct patronage of the Chief Minister and her office”, Nasir Aslam Wani further said.