Srinagar: In a major administrative action, the Jammu & Kashmir government has terminated a Public Health Engineering (PHE) employee and ordered the recovery of ₹1.88 crore from multiple officials — both serving and retired — implicated in the infamous multi-crore Handwara PHE scam.
According to a government notification issued on June 25, a Junior Assistant in the PHE Division Handwara, has been dismissed with immediate effect under Article 311(2) of the Constitution. The order also includes a permanent bar on Hajam from future government employment.
The recovery order targets several officials responsible for fraudulent withdrawals from the Mawar, Monabal, Ramhal and Zakhsondri water supply schemes, which were executed only on paper. Investigations have revealed that crores of rupees were disbursed without laying any pipes or carrying out actual work on ground, depriving residents of safe drinking water in Handwara and surrounding areas.
A detailed probe into the scandal began in 2014, when a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) led to the registration of FIR No. 91/2014 at Handwara Police Station, later transferred to the Crime Branch, Srinagar. The Jammu & Kashmir High Court directed authorities to complete investigations within three months and bring chargesheets against the accused.
Former PHE Minister Sukhnandan Kumar confirmed that the government is coordinating with the Crime Branch and will not spare any official, regardless of their rank or influence. Several accused—including a former Executive Engineer, his cashier, and two contractors—are currently in judicial custody.
Disciplinary proceedings are also underway against Assistant Accounts Officers in the Finance Department, with recovery actions initiated under relevant service and financial rules. Investigations revealed that officials had allegedly withdrawn duplicate salaries and laundered funds through contractor bank accounts. Notably, 15 cheque books worth ₹32 lakh were seized from the accused.
The Jammu & Kashmir High Court has repeatedly demanded status reports on investigations and disciplinary actions. In 2018 and 2021, the bench directed PHE and Irrigation officials to conclude internal inquiries and submit detailed disclosures of prosecuting officials and departmental progress.
Comments are closed.