J&K MC polls: Brows raised over fraud accused in the fray

IN 20142015, AMIN MIR DEFAULTED ₹53 LAKH AND IS NOW CONTESTING ELECTIONS FROM WARD NUMBER 2 OF GANDERBAL

A defaulter of more than ₹50 lakh with a fraud case registered against him at Ganderbal police station is eyeing to become the new president of municipal committee.

Mohammad Amin Mir, resident of Beehama, is contesting elections from ward number 2 of Ganderbal which will go to polls on Tuesday in phase four of local body elections. The committee has 17 wards and only 12 wards will go for polls as candidates in remaining five wards got elected unopposed.

Despite series of complaints from locals and officers of municipal committee, the district election officer, Ganderbal, has not cancelled his nomination papers yet.

According to the documents accessed by Hindustan Times, Mir was allotted a contract for recovery of terminal tax adda entry fee in 2014-2015. He was supposed to pay ₹1,02,00,000 but Mir defaulted ₹53 lakh. Mir had bagged the contract by depositing forged call deposit of ₹2.50 lakh. Then municipal committee had lodged a case against him under FIR number 16/2015 at Ganderbal police station.

Ganderbal district commissioner Piyush told Hindustan Times that he has also received the complaint about candidate. “We have informed this to chief electoral officer and are in the process to take action as per law.” However, he didn’t clarify whether the candidate will be disqualified or not.

Jammu and Kashmir’s chief electoral officer Shaleen Kabra said that Ganderbal DC who is the district electoral officer will have to take the call. “There is a written law on this and deputy commissioner will be in a position to take decision on this.”

Officials in the municipal committee said that Mir is using all his influence not only to win the contest but he is also eyeing to become the president of municipal committee. “This is one of the rich committees with significance.

If Mir wins and becomes president, nobody would dare to question him about the defaulted money,” said an officer on the basis of anonymity.

Officials said as per the Municipal Act, a person who is defaulter and has not paid the arrears of any kind due towards him or has retained any amount which is part of the municipal fund could be disqualified from being chosen as an office bearer of the municipality. Locals allege officials of showing leniency towards Mir as they want more people to in elections, whether they are defaulters or have cases against them. However, dismissing the allegations, Mir said he hasn’t done anything and the claims are false.