By Arfat Khan
Jammu: Acting as distraction from large scale corruption prevailing in various wings of Jammu Municipal Corporation, the nexus of crooks officials in association with notorious blackmailers has divested the authorities from its main job of strengthening important services for the welfare of citizens residing within its jurisdiction.
With circulation of just 30 copies, these black mailers claiming to be self styled journalists of shoddy newspapers which confined their journalism only within four walls of Channi Himmat and Roop Nagar area respectively have virtually start acting as parallel authority in JMC and thus coercing the authorities for maintaining pro active approach only towards BOCA related activities.
“These black mailers are working at the behest of owners of NGO’s who are engaged for providing manpower for sanitation, veterinary and transport related activities” alleged sources.
Alleging large scale irregularities and corruption in hoardings, funds allocated under SBM, transport, sanitation, gardening, veterinary and building sections, the sources said “There is a lobby of crooks officials which in association with two notorious black mailers of Channi Himmat and Roop Nagar are working tirelessly in keeping the authorities engrossed in enforcement related activities.
In fact rampant corruption in sanitation, transport and veterinary wings of JMC is playing havoc in ensuring cleanliness in the municipal jurisdiction, informed JMC insider.
There is huge swindling of state exchequer worth crores by NGO’s engaged for providing man power for sanitation as well as veterinary related activities, alleged sources.
Sanitation is in perfect shape on main roads from where the VIPs frequently shuttle and around their homes while there is great mess prevailing inside the lanes and drains of Mohallas and colonies comprised of common man, said an official of health wing.
“Nallah gang is a den a corruption. There is huge pilferage of state exchequer due to fixing between drivers, officials and NGO’s engaged for the job of ensuring cleanliness, de-silting nallahs and transporting wastes in 75 wards” informed JMC insiders.
Several sweepers are deployed in the home of retired commissioners of JMC while a huge force of safaikaramcharis are engaged as helpers and drivers with serving IAS officers who remained posted in JMC from time to time, revealed reliable sources.
The estrange order of outgoing JMC commissioner has shifted the focus of sanitation officers from ensuring cleanliness to looking after money making construction activities in their allotted wards, revealed sources.
As this was not enough, the authorities in JMC gifted with a posting of new Health Officer Dr Rupesh Gupta who remained attached with the Director Health, Jammu for six months after being removed unceremoniously from the coveted post of CMO in Rajouri, disclosed a source.
What expertise does a medico possessed in ensuring cleanliness in the localities? said sources. The post of Health Officer holds no meaning after the FSSAI has taken control of checking food qualities from the JMC, added an official preferring anonymity.
It’s purely a position which needs to be headed by an administrator so that large scale corruption cum irregularities in engagement of SKC’s can be controlled which indeed can lead to improvement of sanitation in 75 wards of JMC, said an official preferring anonymity.
Interestingly, the developments relating to the controversial order of outgoing JMC commissioner and posting of demoted medico as health officer all happened when JMC is already facing criticism from the councillors as well as citizens for its unpleasant ranking in Swachh Survekshan 2020 being conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
Worthwhile to mention here that due to bad sanitation and ghost swachh awareness campaign, Jammu slipped to 350th (2020) ranking from its earlier position of 329th (2019) in Swachh Survekshan 2020.
From administrative side, the JMC is headed by an able Commissioner Avny Lavassa, IAS with a team of young and efficient JC (A) Ashish Gupta, ACR as well as secretary and there is no denying the fact that JMC will indeed emerge as shining star by demolishing the den of corruption prevailing in its each corridors for transforming the city of temples a perfect place to live.