Cong leaders demand probe in DDK Srinagar blaze

 Early Times Report

 SRINAGAR, Sep 10: FormerMinisters and legislators of Congress party, Abdul Gani Vakil and ChoudharyGaru Ram, and a sitting MLC Haji Ali Mohammad Bhat have demanded a thoroughprobe into recent fire incident at DDK Srinagar in which record room of theKendra was set ablaze. In a statement today, all three leaders has said thatthis fire seemed to be a deliberate attempt so that the inquiries by variouscitizens under right to information act are denied and pending inquiries withregard to various cases of corruption are influenced by destroying theevidence.

 All three leaders lamentedthat an employee of Kendra’s news section was found half burnt during this firewhich took place on a Sunday evening on 28thaugust 2011 when the said employeehad no reason to be present there. He said that there are reports that CentralBureau of Investigation and vigilance wing of Doordarshan was probing severalcomplaints of financial bungling by the said unit. They said if this incidentis not probed seriously it will set a dangerous trend of setting records ofvarious offices on fire by the corrupt officials which come under scanner ofthe investigation agencies and RTI activists.

 The Congress leaders also expressed concernover the reports that the record of the Kendra was recently assembled in thatroom allegedly with the complicity of other officers.They urged Prasar Bhartiauthorities to take serious note of the happenings in Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar.The leaders emphasized the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the Kendra sothat it comes out of mess and is able to deliver the duty of effective publicbroadcaster in the sensitive state.

 They said that mess in theKendra gives very bad impression about the functioning of the Government ofIndia to the people of the State as it is seen as a symbol of the UnionGovernment here. The leaders have particularly urged Union Information andBroadcasting Ministry to end the chaos in regional news units of Prasar Bhartiin Srinagar where the internal mess has made the quality of output very low,thus damaging the credibility of these important institutions. They demandedthorough probe in all the cases of corruption that have surfaced at DDKSrinagar and DD Kashir in the last three years.

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