‘

DDK Srinagar records burnt

in low intensity blast on Aug 28^th;

Official critical at SMHS;

Case being hushed up

’

CBI probe demanded in DD’s ‘Srinagar-2G’ scam

In-house programmes worth Rs 52 Cr approved in 3 months against 25% ‘commission’ in advance

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Sep 5: Beneficiaries of the loot-and-scoot in Doordarshan Kendra (DDK) Srinagar, allegedly hand-in-glove with officials at Mandi House and Prasar Bharti headquarters in New Delhi, are currently burning midnight oil to ensure that there was no investigation into illegal approval of in-house programmes worth Rs 52 Cr, distributed during last three months of Dr Rafeeq Masoodi’s tenure in Srinagar. Private producers and artists have, meanwhile, demanded a thorough investigation by CBI Delhi into the mysterious blaze of August 28^th when a number of files were destroyed in record room of DDK Srinagar and one of the officials sustained critical injuries.

Srinagar District Police’s lackadaisical initiative in the DDK Srinagar blaze is being widely interpreted as a “hush up” by the fraternity of freelance producers and artists in the Valley. Fresh enquiries revealed that FIR was not registered for several days at Police Station Kothibagh and, surprisingly, in the initial report there was no mention of an official having sustained critical burn injuries. Informed sources confirmed that no statements have been recorded, no professional inspection of the spot has been conducted and no circumstantial evidence has been seized despite the fact that the fire had started with a low-intensity blast, burning the anterior of an official. Clear evidence of inflammable and explosive material is still tell-tale on the spot, insiders claimed.

 As earlier reported in this newspaper, DDK Srinagar stenographer, Ashiq Hussain, was burnt beyond recognition in the fire that started on Sunday, August 28^th, at 1700 hours. He is recuperating at SMHS Hospital since Aug 28^th, though his condition continues to be grave. According to sources, nobody has till date made an effort to know as to why the ill-fated official was present on the CRPF-guarded premises on the day of a gazetted holiday and why he had entered DDK Srinagar through an overhead bridge after parking his two-wheeler on the premises of Radio Kashmir Srinagar. Each and every DDK official and visitor is supposed to enter only through the DDK gate.

Some DDK officials, as well as Kothibagh Police, had initially maintained that Ashiq got burnt when a power transmission line fell on him. However, it became clear within a day that there were no transmission lines or overhead livewires at the spot. Doctors treating the official at SMHS Hospital have also opined that the patient was burnt in the flames caused by highly combustible and explosive material.

A delegation of private producers, artists and script writers, which also comprised a number of DDK Srinagar employees, complained that the matter was being “hushed up”. Members of the delegation, who are ready to record their statements but do not want to be identified as this stage, told Early Times that a “coterie of well connected producers and officials from Srinagar to Delhi” was clearly behind the subversive act. They demanded a thorough investigation by CBI Delhi while pointing out that some officials of CBI Srinagar had already “bungled” investigation into two FIRs registered against DDK Srinagar officials in 2009 and 2010.

“Directors of DDK Srinagar have been past masters in managing things with local staff of central agencies. Proved cases have been closed as not established. We have no faith in local staff of these agencies. We know that their relatives have also got largesse of programmes from some former Directors of Srinagar Doordarshan”, members of the delegation said. They made it clear that nothing short of a CBI inquiry, to be held by a senior Delhi-based officer, would be credible or acceptable to the producers and artists community in J&K.

Their specific demand included a detailed, transparent CBI inquiry into the circumstances in which in-house programmes to the order of Rs 52 Cr have been approved by a former Director of DDK Srinagar, namely Dr Rafeeq Masoodi, for just last three months of his tenure before his transfer to Mandi House. “Nobody from Delhi has asked Dr Masoodi how he had approved hundreds of proposal files and created huge liability of Rs 52 Cr in three months without any allotment of funds or commitment from Directorate General of Doordarshan”, said a member.

“CBI inquiry will make it clear that advance commission at the rate of 25 percent of the approved amount has been received from each beneficiary producer”, revealed a DDK Srinagar officer. He confirmed the huge figure of Rs 52 Cr liability having been created by Masoodi in just three months and challenged Mandi House to contradict it. According to him, Masoodi had doled out packages of hundreds of programmes and serials to few families without availability of funds.

These underground beneficiaries, according to the DD insider, included a number of illiterate persons and government employees who have been shown as suppliers of assorted facilities on the proposals approved by Dr Masoodi but who have actually never entered DDK Srinagar premises. Bribe money of Rs 70 Lakh has been allegedly received from just one private producer living in Shivpora locality of Srinagar.

“If New Delhi has to really make Kashmir a part of India, it has to put Kashmir’s Suresh Kalmadi’s and A Rajas too in Tihar Jail. Scams in DDK Srinagar and so-called Kashir Channel are miniature versions of Common Wealth Games scam and 2-G scam”, observed a senior television artist.

Local Congress leader, Jan Mohammad Rishi, has no hesitation to state on record that Srinagar-based officials of central agencies were either disinterested or simply protecting the corrupt DD officials. “I had approached Srinagar-based officials of a central investigating agency with material evidence of embezzlement of funds and forgery at DDK Srinagar. They disappointed me with the plea that they had very little staff and many more things to do”, Rishi complained.

The Congress activist made a sensational disclosure that after getting disappointed, he had sent detailed representations with material proof to Director of CBI, A P Singh, by registered post on May 25^th, 2011, underscoring the apprehension that DDK Srinagar could destroy records in case action was not quickly initiated in the matter.

“Officers in Delhi ordered an inquiry and a team, led by senior Vigilance official Girish Bhat was scheduled to arrive in Srinagar in the first week of August. Still, the fire occurred and some records were burnt on July 28^th”, Rishi disclosed. He claimed that his letters, all sent by registered mail, had since gone to DG Doordrashan, CEO of Prasar Bharti, Minister of Information & Broadcasting, union Minister of Home and the union Home Secretary who had all assured him that the rot of corruption at DDK Srinagar would be arrested.

 “I am hopeful of justice but, till date, there has been no substantive action. Corrupt officials are continuously calling the shots at many quarters”, added Rishi who alleged that empanelment of news stringers and distribution of their assignments had been “fudged in a brazen manner”. However, officials at RNU said that Rishi’s allegations were not objective as his son was himself a news stringer. They asserted that politicians of all parties had been “blackmailing” news staff in order to ensure excessive coverage in daily bulletins.

END