Corruption allegation on Harka Bahadur Chettri by GJM, projects worth 24 lakh not executed

8:46 AM

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Politics

Darjeeling, April 12: GJM (Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) has fresh allegation on Kalimpong MLA, Dr. Harka Bahadur Chhetri who has recently parted from GJM and launched his own party JAP (Jan Andolan Party) of not executing 3 projects worth 24 lakhs using MLA funds - Bidhayak Elaka Unnayan Prakalpa.

Morcha barb at Harka on funds a report on Telegraph

Darjeeling, April 12: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today alleged that some projects recommended by Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri with his MLALAD funds had not been finished although completion certificates had been submitted and money released for those.

The party alleged that two of Chhetri's aides were responsible for the irregularities.

Binay Tamang, the assistant general secretary of the Morcha, said: "On January 27, an order was issued by the district planning section of Darjeeling DM office where 12 projects worth Rs 29.5 lakh were accorded ... for schemes recommended by Harka Bahadur Chhetri. Those were to be executed using MLA funds - Bidhayak Elaka Unnayan Prakalpa."

Harka Bahadur Chettri 

Tamang alleged that of the 12, three projects worth Rs 8 lakh had not been executed.

"Three projects involving construction of a protection wall and footpath above Hari Thapa's house on East Main Road (Rs 3 lakh), a jhora protection (wall) above Bassuripool, Upper Cart Road, Kalimpong, (Rs 2.5 lakh) and a protection wall in front of Puran Chettri's house on East Main Road have not been finished but a completion report has been submitted," Tamang said.

He added that on February 29, another 14 projects costing about Rs 30.5 lakh had been recommended by Chhetri. "A project involving the construction of a protection wall near Renuka Subba's house at School Dara in Kalimpong was shown as complete even without floating tenders. The payment has been made already," said Tamang.

Sources said the project was worth Rs 3 lakh.

"I urge residents of the area... to find out if work has been done. These works were given to two of Chhetri's close aides who used the funds for construction of personal property. The people of Kalimpong have to find them," Tamang said. He said Chhetri had used Rs 19 lakh for personal work when he was with the DGHC and GTA. "We have shown evidence of his corruption on two occasions," said Tamang.

Chhetri denied the charges. "My role as the MLA is to recommend projects to the district planning office. The office distributes work to executing agencies. It is for the BDO office to float tenders and monitor work... I think funds are released only after taking photographs of project. I have no role in choosing contractor..."

Asked about the allegations, he said: "What else do they have to talk about? I will not allow this slandering. I am consulting my legal team and will take him (Tamang) to court on these issues."

The BDO office of Kalimpong#-I is the executing agency of the four projects. BDO Bimalendu Das said : "If there is a complaint lodged with me or the DM, we will inquire."


HB Chhetri gets corruption tag from Morcha again a report on EOI

Darjeeling 12 Apr 2016 The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has once again accused Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri of corruption, maintaining that some of the works sanctioned in Kalimpong from the MLA fund had not been executed at all even though completion reports had been submitted for those projects.

GJM assistant secretary Binay Tamang said, “After becoming the Kalimpong MLA, Chhetri undertook a number of schemes through the MLA fund. On his recommendation, two project orders were passed on January 27 and February 29 this year. According to the first order, the total cost of 12 schemes was Rs29.50 lakh, while the second order comprised 14 schemes with a total cost of Rs30.50 lakh. From the first order, work has not been done on three projects out of the 12, and from the second, one project out of the 14 has not been started. Tenders have not even been floated for it even though full payment has been made and a completion report submitted.”

According to Tamang, work not undertaken for schemes mentioned in the first order include a protection wall and footpath at East Main Road for which the cost has been shown at Rs3 lakh; jhora (stream) protection at Upper Cart Road for Rs2.50 lakh; and a protection wall at East Main Road at a cost of Rs2.50 lakh. He said the second order includes construction of a protection wall at School Dara for Rs3 lakh, but this project has also not been executed.

“It seems he (Chhetri) has siphoned off the money meant for the schemes. Harka is saying he will work for the benefit of the people if he gets re-elected, but we find him to be a corrupt legislator already,” alleged Tamang. Not long ago too, the GJM leader had accused Chhetri of misusing Rs19 lakh meant for landslide relief work when he was on the board of administrators of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.

“The Kalimpong MLA is alleging there is corruption in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, and if this is true, he should back his claims by producing solid evidence like we have. His party (Jan Andolan Party) has an RTI Cell to look into matters of corruption, and it should start a probe against him,” Tamang said.

Chettri responded by dismissing Tamang’s allegations as unfounded, saying “the Morcha is trying to spoil my image looking at the support I am getting from the people”. He added, “Moreover, the only role I play regarding the MLA fund is make recommendations to the District Planning Section and all work is executed by the Block Development Officer. It is through the BDO that the work completion report is prepared along with photographs. Only then does the bill for the work is released.” The MLA further said, “I will file a defamation case against Tamang after the election as he is making false allegations against me time and again.”

Meantime, Kalimpong Block 1 BDO Bimalendu Das said, “All work in my block has been done as per rules and regulations. After completion of work, the engineer does the verification and the work completion report submitted following which the bills are cleared. If anyone has complaints, they can contact me and I can crosscheck.” (EOIC)

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Darjeeling SDO removal linked to Mamata Banerjee's annoyance

1:41 PM

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Mamata Banerjee

Writes Vivek Chhetri

The Darjeeling subdivisional officer (SDO) has been removed from his post, which sources in the district administration linked to Mamata Banerjee's annoyance at the increasing number of high-rises in the hill town.

Mamata Banerjee's annoyance at the increasing number of high-rises in the hill town Darjeeling

The district magistrate, however, has said the move was routine.

SDO Soura Mondal has not been given a new posting after he vacated the earlier one on Friday.

Sources told The Telegraph that Mamata Banerjee, during her visit to Darjeeling last month, had hauled up the administration. "The chief minister was livid with constructions coming up in Darjeeling and hauled up the district administration. The subdivisional officer of Darjeeling, Soura Mondal, had to face the brunt of the chief minister's fury," said a source. "The transfer was definitely not routine. The SDO was replaced but he has not been given any new posting. He has not been released from the administration. Such a thing rarely happens."

Asked if it would amount to compulsory waiting, the source said: "This cannot be termed compulsory waiting as he has not been released by the district administration. This means, he will continue to draw his salary from Darjeeling district administration."

District magistrate Anurag Srivastava, however, said: "The transfer was routine."

On Friday, Avik Chatterjee took over as the SDO.

"Mondal was made a scapegoat. How could he act on an issue that is under the jurisdiction of Darjeeling municipality?" questioned a source referring to high-rises. "If buildings were to be dismantled, then Mamata as the chief minister could have asked for an explanation from the municipality," he said. "On sensitive issues like dismantling buildings, how can an SDO act until he gets specific instructions from the highest office of state."

On September 10, Mondal had called a hearing on five under-construction buildings evoking Section 133 of CrPc. The notices were issued after the CM's visit.

Source Telegraph

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Darjeeling judicial Magistrate asked DM to submit documents in Anjuman-E-Islamia case

10:47 AM

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Darjeeling DM

 The chief judicial magistrate of Darjeeling today told the district magistrate he must hand over all relevant documents of the minority welfare society Anjuman-E-Islamia to the officer probing a funds misuse case against the body.

Anjuman-E-Islamia Darjeeling

Rajesh Sinha, one of the defence lawyers in the case, said: “Today, the chief judicial magistrate passed an order directing the district magistrate not to interfere in the investigation of the case or else the court will take it (the matter) seriously. The court has also directed the DM to hand over all the seized documents to the investigation officer.”

Chief judicial magistrate Biplab Roy had on Wednesday raised questions about why district magistrate Puneet Yadav, currently the administrator of the welfare society, had ordered a financial audit when a probe on alleged misappropriation of funds was being investigated by the police and a case is on that is pending in a criminal court.

The magistrate had directed Yadav to file an affidavit today, explaining “whether his action shall not be treated as interference in the jurisdiction of the court”.

Magistrate Roy had said on Wednesday that the district magistrate’s move to hold “a parallel investigation” could be “interfering with the jurisdiction of the criminal court which under no circumstance can be approved or appreciated”.

Pankaj Prasad, the assistant public prosecutor, said: “The district magistrate today replied that filing of an FIR and beginning of a police investigation do not in any way prohibit the DM, duly empowered, to take necessary actions and measures done to identify the loss made by the erstwhile executive committee (of Anjuman-E-Islamia).”

Prasad added: “The district magistrate has also replied that it was not appropriate to expect a SI (sub-inspector) to conduct a financial audit.”

Magistrate Roy, after going through the affidavit, said in his order that Yadav “has challenged the competency of police authority in the matter of investigating the case”.

The magistrate also said that a copy of the order should be sent to the Union home secretary, the state chief secretary, director-general of police, inspector-general (law and order), inspector-general (North Bengal) and superintendent of police, Darjeeling, “for information and necessary action if any”.

The order pointed out that the committee formed by the district magistrate to administer the welfare society had in it a member who has been mentioned in a media report to have alleged links with a mafioso.

“How can such a person have a close proximity with the DM?” the magistrate said in the order.

That one of the members of the committee formed by the DM had criminal cases pending against him and allegedly had links with a mafioso was brought to the notice of the magistrate by the lawyer of Zahid Khan, a Darjeeling civic councillor arrested in the Anjuman funds misappropriation case.

Zahid was granted interim bail on a surety of Rs 5,000 under the condition that he would report to the police every week and inform the investigating officer before leaving the area under the jurisdiction of the chief judicial magistrate’s court.

Zahid was arrested in Darjeeling on July 31 after the Wakf board filed an FIR on July 18, alleging that eight members of the Anjuman-E-Islamia had been involved in acts of alleged misappropriation of funds.

The court today also observed that the Wakf board had suppressed in its FIR the fact that two civil suits were pending in court contesting its claim that Anjuman-E-Islamia was under the Wakf board.

The committee of which Zahid was a member of the welfare society had resigned in June, a month before the FIR was filed. The committee had told the district magistrate that it wanted to resign as it could not hold elections to the society for several years.

The constitution of Anjuman-E-Islamia empowers the district magistrate as administrator in the absence of a committee to run the society involved in welfare work for the minority community.

After Yadav took charge as administrator in June, he formed the 20-member supervisory committee and ordered the financial audit.

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Court directed Darjeeling DM to file an affidavit for holding parallel investigation

11:27 AM

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Darjeeling DM

The Darjeeling chief judicial magistrate has directed the district magistrate to file an affidavit in court tomorrow, explaining if actions taken by him in running a minority community welfare society should not “be treated as interference in the jurisdiction of the court”.

Darjeeling DM Punit Yadav

Biplab Roy, the chief judicial magistrate, while hearing a bail application of Zahid Khan, a former member of Anjuman-E-Islamia board and municipal councillor, remarked that the district magistrate’s action to hold a parallel investigation, thereby interfering with the jurisdiction of the criminal court “under no circumstances can be approved or appreciated”.

The magistrate was hearing the case yesterday.

Khan was arrested on July 31, after the Wakf Board filed an FIR on July 18 alleging that eight members of the board of Anjuman-E-Islamia, the welfare society looking after the interests of the minority community, had been involved in acts of “criminal breach of trust, cheating and dishonesty, inducting delivery of property, forgery and criminal conspiracy”. Even before the case was filed by the Wakf board, the eight members of the Anjuman-E-Islamia board had given their resignations to district magistrate Puneet Yadav on June 2. Yadav, according to the society’s constitution, became the administrator.

Magistrate Roy said: “I find from the records that in spite of investigation of the case by IO (investigation officer), the DM has been holding parallel investigation interfering with the jurisdiction of the criminal court….”

He cited an audit, ordered by the DM. “How the DM has given such a direction for holding audit when the matter is within the jurisdiction of the criminal court and investigation is conducted by one S.I (sub-inspector) of police.”

Source: Telegraph

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