Kashmir housing scam: BJP activists demand action

Jammu: Hundreds of Bharatiya Janata Party activists held a protest demonstration in Jammu on Saturday, demanding stern action against those found involved in the alleged multi-crore-rupee scam in the Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Housing Corporation.

Holding party flags and placards with anti-government slogans, the protesters led by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) state president Munish Sharma demanded action against the erring ministers and officials.

"Nobody should be spared, however highly he may be placed in the government," he said.

The State Accountability Commission (SAC) on Friday issued notice to Congress leader and Cooperatives Minister Manohar Lal Sharma, Cooperatives Commissioner Abdul Hamid Wani, and Registrar-Cooperatives Mohammad Abbas in connection with the alleged scam.

The action by the state's top anti-graft body came following a complaint by Farooq Ahmed Dar of Kashmir and Sunil Sharma of Jammu. The complainants alleged that a probe revealed that Rs.5,000 crore had been embezzled by former managing director of the corporation, Brij Mohan Sharma, and present MD Bharat Bhushan.

It was alleged that the two managing directors along with assistant registrar-Cooperatives Mohammad Shafi Dar had misappropriated crores of rupees, but no action was taken against them by the minister, official sources said.

It was also alleged that Arun Bakshi, retired managing director of Jammu Central Cooperative Bank Limited, was "still interfering in the bank's operations".

SAC chairperson Justice YP Nargotra and member Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain observed that a case already stood registered in the matter with the vigilance organisation. "Prima facie, it appears that gross irregularities have been committed by the officers of the corporation, and the minister for cooperatives department had failed to exercise effective control over the functioning of the corporation."

The SAC then issued notice to the respondents for their appearance in person or through advocate and reply within three weeks. It also asked the vigilance organisation to inform the commission about the present status of the case.