House committee to look into ‘bungling’ in SKUAST

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 16

Legislative Council Chairman Haji Ali Inayat today allowed the formation of a House committee to look into the alleged large-scale bungling in the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu, related to the setting up of an e-studio and a mega seed unit.

PDP legislator Surinder Kumar Chaudhary said though two committees were formed by SKUAST to inquire into the ‘bungling’ case, the report by the one constituted in 2015 has failed to submit it findings while the government has just reiterated its stand of awaiting the report.

While Agriculture Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura tried to explain the penaltyof premature retirement imposed on NA Sudan, former research director, on the recommendation of the committee constituted by the university to inquire into the lapses in the mega seed project, the PDP legislator objected to it and said, “There are other incumbent officials, too, who are charged in the bungling case, but no action was taken against them.”

He said, “Rs 4 crore meant for the setting up of an e-studio were siphoned and there had been financial bungling in the mega seed project too.”

When asked by the PDP legislator as to when the report of the second committee will be published, Hanjura assured him of tabling it in the second session, to which Chaudhary said, “The government gave the same reply last year as well, which is quite unsatisfactory.”

Though Hanjura again tried to reassure that after the submission of the fact-finding report by the committee, the university would proceed against the delinquent officials, if any, the member sought the Chairman’s intervention into the matter.