expenses of CM, Farooq’s houses

March 2, 2004

Govt foots expenses of CM, Farooq's houses
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 1
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has spent Rs 35.84 lakh on the renovation of private houses of Chief Minister, Mufti Sayeed and former Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah. Official vehicles provided to 11 other persons, including relatives of Mr Sayeed and Dr Abdullah, consumed fuel worth Rs 13.11 lakh, which also includes the maintenance cost. A sum of Rs 15.28 lakh has been spent on furnishing private houses occupied by ministers.

In a written reply in the Assembly, the Chief Minister informed Mr Jugal Kishore from the BJP that those being provided government vehicles included Mr Mufti Mohammad Amin, brother of the Chief Minister, and his nephew, Mr Sajad Mufti.

Mr Asim Khan, son-in-law of Dr Abdullah, his daughter Safiya and sister, Suriya Matoo also had government vehicles. Mr Ghulam Hassan Beig, brother of Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig, also had a government vehicle. The name of Mr S.D. Rohmetra, editor of a local daily, also figures in the list.

The Chief Minister informed Mr Kishore that the expenditure on these vehicles was for the past last two years. A sum of Rs 5,35,164 was spent on fuel and maintenance of the vehicle provided to Mr Asim Khan and Rs 3,00,041 to the one provided to Mr Rohmetra.

Mr Mufti vehicle consumed fuel worth Rs 93,139 and that of Mr Amin Rs 55,293. Besides thus, a sum of Rs 6,587 and Rs 31,233 was spent on maintenance of the vehicles.

The fuel and maintenance of the vehicle of Ms Matoo, cost Rs 10,143 to the exchequer. A separate vehicle provided to the daughter of Dr Abdullah and wife of Mr Asim Khan cost Rs 1,25,746.

The member was informed that generally the government does not incur any expenditure on renovation of private buildings of ministers. However, some renovation was done in the private houses of the Chief Minister and Dr Abdullah at a cost of Rs 35.84 lakh. This includes Rs 4.50 lakh spent on the house of the Chief Minister during 2002-03.

A sum of Rs 29.34 lakh has been spent on the renovation of the two houses of Dr Abdullah at Srinagar and Tangmarg in the past three years. This includes Rs 26.14 lakh spent during the current financial year, when Dr Abdullah was out of power.

A sum of Rs 2.75 lakh was spent on the Srinagar house of Mr Taj Mohiuddin, Minister for Consumer Affairs, during the current year and Rs 66,402 on his house at Jammu, last year.

A sum of Rs 3.30 lakh has been spent for furnishing the Srinagar house and Rs 99,884 for the Jammu residence of Mr Sofi Abdul Gaffar, Minister of State for Health, during the current year, while Rs 86,029 was spent on furnishing his residence here, last year.

Rs 1.50 lakh was spent on furnishing the Srinagar house of Mr Ajaz Ahmad this year Rs 1,37,704 was spent at the residence of Mr Madan Lal, Minister for PWD, at Jammu last year and Rs 27,769, this year.

The house of Mr Mula Ram, Social Welfare Minister, was furnished here at a cost of Rs 27,964 past year and Rs 35,665, this year.

The Chief Minister informed the member that fuel worth Rs 1.90 crore was consumed by 180 vehicles of the security wing of the police, attached with ministers.

Besides this 44 vehicles of the state motor garages are attached with ministers and their staff. A sum of Rs 20,000 per annum was being spent on the maintenance of an ordinary car and about Rs 30,000 on a bullet proof car.

The Director General of Police and the Director-General of Prison spent a sum of about Rs 54 crore-during the past two years for purchase of vehicles.