VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, April 12: Even if only a technical investigation can explain the exact cause of the Trikut ropeway tragedy, many skeletons have tumbled out of the cupboard of the Jharkhand government.
To cite an example, the then Finance Secretary Rajbala Verma had asked the then Tourism Secretary Arun Kumar Singh for a vigilance probe into the consortium of projects of the tourism department.
But the tourism secretary ignored the recommendations of the vigilance probe even if Rajbala Verma attached reports of the Accountant General explaining why probes were required.
From 2004 onwards as much as Rs 240 crore was sanctioned to develop tourist sites in Jharkhand. These projects were executed by the Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC) in collaboration with the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). The Trikut hills ropeway was one of the projects. These projects landed in the thick of the controversy and several anomalies were exposed.
In letter no 2955, dated 28 August 2009, the then finance secretary cautions the tourism secretary that JTDC had indulged in the scam and misappropriation of funds in executing projects and the same should be investigated. She further expressed displeasure that the Accountant General in its verification report had raised 14 objections but the JTDC did not comply with these objections. In the letter, she has pointedly said that JTDC and ITDC have embezzled Rs 40.11 crore in the name of the execution of projects and it is a fit case to be investigated by the vigilance bureau. She said that the JTDC secretly deposited Rs 2030587755 in different banks and there was no record of interest amounts.
The finance department again sent a fresh letter to the tourism secretary a month after on 24 September 2009 when the department neither responded to the letter nor took any action. The finance department raised the matter of alleged anomalies in the installation of the light and sound show in Deoghar temple. The finance department further reminded him to reply to objections raised by the AG.
In yet another letter the finance department regretted that despite several reminders, the tourism department was not taking any legal action against officials of JTDC and ITDC who embezzled public money. The finance department further warned him for giving misleading replies.
Jharkhand High Court lawyer Rajiv Kumar, who had filed a PIL in this regard said that the then Tourism Secretary Arun Kumar Singh threw all these recommendations of Rajbala Verma into the dustbin.
Notably, the maximum projects for the development of tourism sports were undertaken during the regime of Arun Kumar Singh. The consortium of projects included Trikut ropeway, the development of temples of Basukinath, Deori temple, Sun temple, and Parasnath besides the development of waterfalls.
Besides, two PILs were filed more than a decade back by Sanjay Tiwari (2010) and Babloo Kumar (2011) seeking a CBI investigation into the matter.
