Srinagar, Sept 08 (KNS): Funds allocated for rehabilitation of handicapped, widows, old aged persons and disabled in Social Welfare Office Baramulla have been grossly misused and have been utilized on underserved portions, an RTI has revealed.
According to KNS, funds allocated for NGOs who are working for underprivileged sections of society have been given to business institutions, an RTI activist Siraj-ud-Din has said.
He said the reply he received from the concern department is shocking as the amount particularly meant for development and rehabilitation of underprivileged sections of society have been grossly misused by officials.
He said NGOs mandated for rehabilitation of poor have been deprived from funds while the same has been given to undeserved persons.
He added the wheel chairs have been stationed at polling centers instead of providing them to needy person. He also added the funds allocated for downtrodden section of society have also been issued to undeserved pockets.
“There are numerous welfare schemes in District Social Welfare Office Baramulla for the purpose of helping poor, needy ones and helpless peoples but the question here arises that are all these schemes implemented on ground level or not? Is genuine deserver benefited with the help of these schemes or not? So when we go through the information received with the help of RTI, we come to know that all these schemes are utilized in favor of those who don't actually need the help, and needy people are far away from these schemes”, RTI activist in his application said.
He said, after Government replied to his query, he came to know that that District Social Welfare Office Baramulla had provided wheelchairs to Polling Booths instead of all the handicapped persons in the area. He added that employees working in the department have not been transferred since long.
According to RTI activist, the hearing Aids equipments provided by the District Social Welfare Office Baramulla are worst in quality which works for very less time period and then patient starts suffering again. He said there is no proper service and maintenance put in place.
He alleged that there is mess and corruption in the department as he got succeed in getting reply after a gap of seven months. He also alleged that the said office has indulged in providing benefit to “blue eyed” institutions and deprived the deserved ones.
He appealed Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to intervene into the matter so that exercise of corruption and loot could be exposed in public and real ones could be benefited. (KNS)