Director says teams constituted to look into the matter
SNS KASHMIR
Meer Javaid
Handwara, January 27,:
An alleged scam has surfaced in the ICDS projects’ in Langate and Villgam areas in North Kashmir’s Handwara town.
Sources told news agency Kashmir News Trust that employees of the concerned ICDS projects have allegedly embezzled lakhs of rupees while buying the material for ICDS Centres.
The employees of these projects reportedly have also brazenly violated the department’s directions about purchasing material at the local level, sources disclosed.
Besides, they have purchased the materials at exorbitant rates, raising many eyebrows.
The bills which are in possession of this news agency show the sugar, lintels and other stuff for Centres have been purchased for above the market rate.
As per the department’s directions, the ICDS centres have to buy these materials from their local shopkeepers, which can boost their economy. However, instead of buying the goods from the local shopkeepers, the employees have chosen to buy from their favourite ones.
A shopkeeper at Langate on condition of anonymity said that the tall claims of authorities, saying “they have brought transparency in all the departments,” can’t be seen on the ground.
He said that at the ground level, especially for this Langate Project, one fails to understand what is happening there.
As per the department, there are 305 ICDS centres in Langate and 186 centres in Ramhall.
Locals while demanding a high-level probe into the buying of material say there are apprehensions that lakhs of rupees have been embezzled.
CDPO Langate Shameema Begum termed the allegations baseless by stating that they have provided high-quality nutritious material in these sub-centres.
She however said that there may be slightly higher rates in some distant locations.
Rubeena Kousar, Director, ICDS, said teams have been constituted to look into the matter at the district level. She added that if charges are found genuine, action will be taken against the employees involved.
“Nobody would be allowed to defy government orders,” the Director concluded. (KNT)