Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Feb 21: In a multi-crore bungling in the Forests and Environment Department, millions of rupees have either gone missing or remained unutilized forcing the government to form a high-level committee to unravel the truth.
The committee is supposed to submit its report within 15 days besides suggesting legal action against the NGOs involved.
The move comes close on the heels of the controversy over the funding of NGO or Madarass in Jammu and Kashmir by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The latest development has raised eye brows in the State forest department as the money was being pumped in from 2003 to 2008 from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.
Official sources told Rising Kashmir that at least five NGOs and a University were selected for aforestation and other pro-environment measures.
According to official sources, the money was provided to the NGOs on regular basis with a promise that if they succeeded in their mission, subsequent installments would be released simultaneously.
The government has made public the list of five NGOs and a University including Global Green Peace (GGP), Human Objective to Protect Environment (HOPE), JK State Welfare Institute, Khakani Ladies Vocational Centre (Islamabad), Society for Ecological and Environmental Protection and Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri.
As per the government order number 6117-GAD of 2012, d a t e d 21- 2-2012, sanction was accorded to a committee to look into the defaults of voluntary agencies (NGOs) in respect of projects sanctioned by Ministry of Environment and Forests, GoI.
The committee will be headed by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Jammu, with Registrar Co-operative Societies, Jammu and concerned deputy commissioners as its members.
As for the terms and references of the committee, the GAD order reads that the committee shall examine the reasons as to why the voluntary agencies have not approached for the subsequent installments and not submitted the requisite documents for the release of second installment after taking second installment.
“The committee shall also examine and propose method of recovery of unutilized funds and to suggest legal action against the defaulting voluntary agencies in whose favour funds were provided by Ministry of Environment and Forests from 2003 to 2008,” the order reads.
A member of GGP, insisting not to be quoted by name, admitted that they had received the payment of Rs 2,20000 as a first installment for the aforestation programme in 2003-2004.
“We were directed to go for the aforestation on a piece of land at Tangmarg (Section A). We planted hundreds of trees after shaping the land,” he said, adding that they had a letter duly signed by the then District Forest Officer.
He even contradicted the government claim that the NGOs had failed to submit the utilization certificates.
“We have submitted UCs already, but haven’t received the second installment,” the GGP member said.
Reliable sources said there was no record of the money, which is to the tune of crores, sent by the ministry of Environment and Forests, to J&K for various environment and forest protection schemes but nobody knows where the money goes.
“One could imagine how much money has been pumped into Kashmir by GoI in the name of environment protection. There has to be proper inquiry,” a source in the forest department said.
Prominent social activist and environmentalist, Zarief Ahmed Zarief said these NGOs have cast a shadow on genuine people who have zeal to protect Kashmir valley from further vandalisation.
“The government should direct these fake NGOs to issue white paper as to how much they have received and how much spent,” he said.
When contacted, Forest Minister, Mian Altaf said the matter pertains to 2003 to 2008 when Congress-PDP coalition was in government.
“I have no information about it but since the government has ordered an inquiry, let there be a thorough probe,” he said.
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