ACB registers case against Manohar Lal Raina the then Director Rural Development Department Jammu and others for fraudulent procurement of Sub-tropical fruit plants.

On the basis of a Preliminary Enquiry, Anti Corruption Bureau registers a case FIR No. 01/2021 (Police Station ACB Jammu) against the then Director Rural Development Department Jammu Manohar Lal Raina S/o Sh. Som Nath Raina R/o village Gund Gusi Kupwara Kashmir A/P H. No. 40, KC Door Muthi Jammu in the garb of scheme “Har Karye Ek Brikash Anivarye”. Manohar Lal Raina under a well knit conspiracy hatched with the owners of Bhat Kissan Nursery for pecuniary benefits, issued supply order No. DRDJ / Plants / 2016-17/2215-2219 dated 07.07.2016 in favour of Bhat Kissan Nursery for procurement of 47500 sub-tropical fruit plants such as Mango, Orange, Guava, Lemon etc. valuing Rs. 9, 52,000/- as per Horticulture Deptt. approved rates in violation to the laid down procedure and guidelines despite these plants being subtropical were not grown in Kashmir region.

2. In pursuance to the above said supply order, about 15000 plants valuing Rs. 3,30,000/- were supplied to BDO Samwan, BDO Mathwar, BDO Suchegarh, BDO Khour. It has been found that these plants were dry and damaged, so could not be planted by the said BDO’s. Further about 14500 plants valuing Rs. 3,17,000/- have been shown supplied to BDO Chowki Chora, BDO Mara Mandrian, BDO Akhnoor and BDO Pargwal directly by the supplier firm in violation to norms, guidelines & circulars pertaining to the schemes/supply order.

4. During further course of probe, it has been found no file for procurement of sub-tropical fruit trees has been found processed in Directorate of Rural Development Department. The trees supplied by the supplier firm were not up to specification of Horticulture Department and were dry and damaged besides no demand/requirement in this regard was projected by ACD Jammu or the BDO’s concerned. The supply order for procurement of 47,500 hot zone variety of fruit plants amounting to Rs. 9,52,000/- has been issued in favour of Bhat Kissan Nursery without following codal formalities and subsequently a liability to the tune of Rs. 6,47,000/- has been created upon the state exchequer.

5. The acts, omissions and commissions on the part of then Director Rural Development Department Jammu Manohar Lal Raina S/o Sh. Som Nath Raina R/O village Gund Gusi Kupwara Kashmir A/P H. No. 40, KC Door Muthi Jammu and the beneficiary owners of Bhat Kissan Nursery namely Ghulam Hassan Khan R/o Village Tanki Pura Tehsil & District Kulgam, Kashmir and Abdul Rehman Dar S/o Ghulam Rasool Dar R/o Akhran Tanki Pura Tehsil & District Kulgam constitute offences punishable under sections 5 (1) (d) r/w 5 (2), section 5 (3) of J&K PC Act Svt. 2006 and section 120-B RPC.

6. The investigation of the case is in progress.

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