‘I’m fighting against corruption; whoever is involved will be punished’
Baba Umar
Baba Umar
Srinagar, Feb 01: Chief Minster Ghulam Nabi Azad Friday expressed willingness for a CBI probe into the alleged involvement of his brothers in the high profile timber import scam.Addressing a press conference here Azad said that the CBI would probe involvement of his brothers in the timber import scam but ruled out any possibility of a CBI investigating the entire Kundal Committee report.
Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat in Srinagar Azad said, “The section of Kundal Committee report where my brothers are featuring will be probed by the CBI. The rest will remain under the investigation of Crime Branch of police and State Vigilance Organisation (SVO).”
The chief minister made these revelations day after the New Delhi-based news channel CNN IBN showed that Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s brothers were directly involved in the notorious timber import scam.The chief minister also distanced himself from his brothers saying, “I am not living with them for the past 41 years. I was studying in SP College when I left my brothers back home. Where then do I figure in the picture?” Azad questioned.
Reiterating his pledge to fight corruption in the state with iron hands, Azad said the guilty will be brought to book no matter whosoever would be involved.“Nobody will be spared. Even if he is someone’s father or brother,” he said. “The attempts to drag me in the timber import scam will not dilute my determination to fight corruption in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Referring to a news story run by CNN IBN and carried by a section of local press, Azad said that the report was one sided and highlighted allegations made by two ‘tainted officers’ of the forest department whose misdeeds had been established by the Kundal Committee which recommended their dismissal from service.He said one of the two officers had dual citizenship and traveled on four assumed names from six residential addresses, four of which were found to be fake. “The person travelled 23 times between USA and India and stayed in US for about 14 years. After his Indian passport expired he held the post of MD State Forest Corporation despite being a US citizen,” he added.“He also drew the salary of the period he was in US. The second official’s service book showed that he had joined the government service at the age of 14. At least 8 enquiries have been instituted against him for misconduct.”
Azad said that the two officials in order to avoid further action against them had gone to the court and were now trying to malign him to give a setback to his resolve of fighting corrupt elements.Referring to the documents displayed by the news channel as evidence against him Azad said that there was nothing in these letters that the viewers were made to believe. He showed the letters to the media persons and said one of these addressed by the then Commissioner and Secretary Forest, Najmus Saqib to the Commissioner and Secretary Finance, B B Vyas was about seeking the latter's "cooperation in bringing to book some unscrupulous elements including officials who have played a role in wanton exploitation of forest wealth in Doda district since late 80s and early 90s."
He said the migration of contractors from the state to the neighbouring state like Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh had resulted in 80 per cent decline in timber extraction in Jammu division.Azad said for seeing to it that the contractors here do not leave the state to work outside, he had marked the representation of the contractors to the then Commissioner and Secretary, Forest for discussion as was the normal procedure about such matters."How does this letter show that I have favoured any of my relatives?" he asked.
Azad said that he was the first political leader in India who had written to the successive chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir asking them not to entertain any of his relatives if they came for any favour to them. “I wrote these letters in 1983 and 1987. He said after taking over as the chief minister of J&K in 2002, the first thing I did was to issue a circular asking all Commissioners, Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners not to entertain any request of favour by my relatives.“If any of my relatives is involved in any irregularities, he will face the consequences like any other guilty citizen,” he said.
Earlier, the chief minister inspected the construction work on the projects including the legislature and museum complexes.
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