Srinagar june 24: A formal complaint has been filed seeking a comprehensive vigilance inquiry into the actions and omissions of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Verinag Development Authority (VDA). The complaint alleges the unauthorized occupation of government property, a blatant violation of administrative rules, and a significant loss to the government treasury.
According to the complaint, a valuable revenue-generating asset belonging to the VDA, originally intended to be leased or outsourced through a transparent, competitive process, has allegedly been allowed to be occupied and used by a group of local Sumo drivers to operate a private vehicle stand, who are allegedly collecting entry fees from other transport operators.
The complainant highlights that the VDA management failed to follow prescribed legal procedures for allotment. By permitting private individuals to maintain unchecked control over public property, the authority has allegedly caused substantial financial damage to the state exchequer, the complaint reads.
Furthermore, the private operators have reportedly raised unauthorized constructions on the site, building a room and a toilet without obtaining the necessary approvals from the competent authority. Despite these alleged violations, the VDA administration has allegedly taken no effective action to demolish the unauthorized structures or halt the ongoing encroachment.
The complaint also notes a severe lack of basic safeguarding measures, pointing out that the parking area has allegedly been left completely unfenced, undemarcated, and unprotected. This, the complainant argues, facilitated the unauthorized occupation of the public asset.
Calling for a time-bound, impartial investigation in the larger public interest, the complainant has urged the anti-graft body and higher authorities to launch a thorough vigilance inquiry to investigate the entire matter from its inception to determine the scale of the alleged irregularities, examine official accountability, verify legality, examine the unauthorized construction of the room and toilet on government land, assess financial loss, investigate the alleged unauthorized collection of entry fees and other charges by private individuals, and take action against all individuals found guilty of negligence or violation of rules, the complaint reads.
Meanwhile, talking to Nationvoice101, CEO VDA Rouf Rehman refuted the allegations and said, “We received several complaints from the locals regarding the severe traffic jams there.
Before that, we had written to the Executive Engineer of the R&B Department to macadamize the Sumo stand. However, due to the worsening situation in the Middle East, the macadamization work got delayed.”
He added that the local MLA also conducted a review meeting, where it was decided that the stand should be allotted in order to resolve the traffic congestion. “It is on that very basis that we have allotted this space to them.”
“We have also issued an official order vide Order No. CEO/VDA/558-61 dated 10-06-2026 and have clearly mentioned in the order that we can cancel this allotment at any time,” he said.
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