By Arfat Khan
JAMMU: Engagement of Safai Karamcharis (SKCs) through Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) have allegedly turned into a money minting business for some officials of sanitation wing, NGO owners including some Councillors of Jammu Municipal Corporation.
Though this practice of organised loot of state exchequer is going on merrily for the past so many years but with the intervention of Commissioner Avny Lavasa and Joint Commissioner (A) Ashish Gupta it seemingly slow down.
This nexus is so strongly deep rooted that if any one raised his voice against this malpractice their borrowed touts in the JMC get activated to play spoilsport in an endeavour to exert pressure on the administration.
Giving details sources in JMC said “There is huge difference between the SKCs of NGOs existed on papers and on the ground”
It wouldn’t be out of place to mention here that with the advent of Reformist Commissioner Avny Lavasa, the JMC have witnessed a revolutionary transformation in Transportation to sanitation and Enforcement wings besides Veterinary as well as Building section.
However, it’s high time to crack this man made monster (SKCs) in JMC by devising some technology oriented way to end rampant corruption prevailing with impunity in management of SKCs hiring through NGOs.
The sanitary inspectors and supervisors of some old city zones used to charge Rs 3000 per SKCs for approving attendance in favour of Ghost SKCs and Rs 1000 for those remained absent for more than 5 days, alleged sources in sanitation wing.
The Sanitation Officers of these zones well aware of this “honeymoon” practice prevailing with impunity in Zones managed by Sanitation officer especially Parshotam Kumar and Hardeep Singh, added sources.
To end monopoly of some deep rooted old player claiming to be editor of some copy paste newspaper, the reformist Commissioner Lavasa has recently engaged nearly 15 NGOs for availing SKCs services for sanitation purpose in different wards.
Paradoxically, the owner of these NGOs are paid by JMC authorities for providing SKCs but none of the NGO’s owners know about the identity of these SKCs.
“As there are discrepancies about the SKCs existed in files and on the ground, some insiders in JMC administration in association with union leaders and old NGOs players have obstructed the new players in verifying the physical presence of SKCs engaged through their NGOs.
The magnitude of fraud prevailing in supply of SKCs through NGOs can be gauged from the fact some councillors and union leaders of JMC have adjusted their near and dear ones to the tune of around 15 to 20 in each NGOs which can only be seen by God or their Badei Sahibs on ground, revealed one sanitation official preferring anonymity.
Supply of SKCs is purely a contract between the NGO owners and JMC authority and its hiring is purely the domain of former and why the Councillors and some JMCs insiders are projecting this miniscule issue as monsters before the Commissioner is a million dollar question, asserted one officer of JMC.
On being contacted JMC Commissioner Avny Lavasa said “Soon this prevailing malpractices in sanitation wing will be thing of past as we are underway to launch a foolproof technique to end menace of Ghost SKCs once for all”