Srinagar, Oct 10: Taking strong note of “Corruption” in Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC),the department has suspended 33 people and initiated an inquiry against 52 people in the department.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir, Srinagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Athar Amir said that they have taken action against the offenders and have suspended them.
He said that they have prepared for the forcible retirement of four repeat offenders; among them, one has been retired forcibly by the department. Athar stated that their complaints have been forwarded to concerned agencies to check the veracity of the allegations. “The anti-corruption bureau is checking the validity of the complaints,” Athar said.
“From the beginning, it was made plain that there would be no tolerance for any form of corruption or neglect of duty. According to Athar Aamir Khan, action is being taken against high officials, ward officers, and construction inspectors as well as lower-ranking personnel.
The development came a few days after Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Mayor Junaid Azim Mattoo accused some corporates of engaging in corruption and accepting bribes to support unlawful construction projects in the city.”
In a series of tweets, the mayor alleged, “Lakhs of rupees in bribes have been found to be deposited electronically into the bank account of an elected representative in SMC over the course of the last two years.”
He said, “The amount is roughly 1.4 crores, with individual transactions running into lakhs. Multiple witnesses have come forward relating horrific tales of extortion and brazen corruption. “Three citizens have recorded their official statements.”
Multiple witness statements have been recorded in the presence of Commissioner SMC, Srinagar Police officials, and representatives of investigative agencies over the last two weeks. Documents and details sought from SMC have been promptly submitted to @JKACB-as sought.
A symbiotic eco-system that has thrived on corruption, forgery, and extortion and surrounds the said elected representative is trying to distract attention from the investigation. That won’t happen. There will be absolutely no compromise on corruption. The law will take its toll the mayor of the city alleged in a tweet.
“It was also observed that people are also complaining against officers for pressurizing them to raise illegal construction in the city.” The department is also taking strong cognizance of the matter and has registered a number of FIRs against such erring persons.
He went on to say that, whenever they receive complaints, they forward them to the concerned agencies whose domain is expertise in the investigation.
