Congress alleges Rs 13,000 cr scam in J&K Jal Jeevan Mission, says officer being harassed

New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) Congress on Monday hit out at the BJP-led Centre alleging Rs 13,000 crore scam in the Jal Jeevan Mission in J&K and victimisation of the IAS officer, who exposed the scam while shielding the accused.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress Working Committee (CWC) member, Pawan Khera said that everyday the government does event management.

Khera, who is also the chairman of the media and publicity department of the party, said: “This is done to divert attention from real issues. And while the government was holding the G20 Summit in Delhi, a complaint from Jammu and Kashmir has come against Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha alleging Rs 13,000 crore scam in the Jal Jeevan Mission.

“The whistleblower of the scam, Ashok Kumar Parmar is an IAS officer, who happens to be a Dalit IAS officer and has written to the SC/ST Commission and also the ministry of Home but no action has been taken."

Hitting out at the government, the Congress leader said, “It seems that the top echelons of the Modi government, the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Manoj Sinha has promoted these corrupt officers, named in the scam by Parmar, and punished the whistleblower, by demoting him from being a Principal Secretary, Jal Shakti Department to ARI and Trainings Department, even though with 30 years of service, his position should have been of Financial Commissioner.”

He said that Parmar was transferred four times, while the officers named in the scam are being protected.

He also cited the example of another scam by Satyapal Malik, former Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. “We also know, through media reports, that the dubious captured thug, Sanjay Rai Sherpuria who was part of the BJP-RSS ecosystem had lent Rs 25 Lakh to Sinha (Present Lt. Governor) for his 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” Khera said. 

“So, it comes as no surprise that there is a scam in Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) also under the nose of the J&K Lt Governor,” Khera added. 

Firing salvos at the government, Khera asked, “Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government answer, why was a Dalit IAS officer harassed and targeted, even though he exposed a massive scam of Rs 13,000 crore? Why were other officers who embezzled funds, scammed the exchequer, and looted our people, promoted? Were they following the orders from a higher power above? Who is the mastermind of this humongous scam of Rs 13,000 crore?”

He also asked why no CBI enquiry has been ordered despite complaints to the Union Home Ministry and who the government was protecting.