Land Scam: Four Generals among nine indicted

Chandigarh, December 9
The count is now four Generals and five other officers who have been held blameworthy for alleged collusion and lapses to lease land near Siliguri to a group of businessmen to build an educational centre adjoining a sensitive Army establishment.
Sources close to the investigation said the COI has recommended disciplinary action against at least five officers and administrative action against others.
As a fallout of this, the court of inquiry (COI) that investigated the matter has recommended that the recent promotions and postings of certain officers based at various places be investigated. The COI, headed by Lt Gen KT Parnaik, General Officer Commanding 4 Corps, Tezpur, concluded on December 3, sources said.
The senior-most officer to be blamed in this matter, Lt Gen Avdesh Prakash is the Military Secretary at Army Headquarters and responsible for the officer cadre management, including promotions and postings. Sources said the opinion was that some promotions and postings could have been manipulated to benefit certain officers for their alleged acts of omission and commission.
Besides General Prakash, the other officers held blameworthy include Lt Gen PK Rath, the commander of 33 Corps who was to move as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff at Army Headquarters before his posting was cancelled. The other two Generals include a corps commander in the western sector and a Major-General on staff appointment at Headquarters Western Command. Both had served in the northeast before their promotion.
The findings and recommendations of the COI are now before the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, Lt Gen VK Singh for further action. The number of officers that finally face disciplinary action and administrative action would depend on a review of the COI proceedings at command headquarters and the directions of the GCO-in-C thereof.
Sources said that a separate COI has also been recommended to investigate some similar lapses pertaining to military land in the area near Gangtok in Sikkim, which also comes under the territorial jurisdiction of 33 Corps. Given its history and location, Sikkim is extremely sensitive politically, diplomatically and militarily.

Gen Secy
Ex-Servicemen Joint Action Front (SANJHA MORCHA)
Chairman Major SS Dhillon Ex-Signal Paras
President Lt Col RS Bopari Ex-ASC
Gen Secy Lt Col CJS Khera Ex-Bengal Sappers

"“The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful & virtuous”

Comment: Land and real estate scam is a National Disease generally perpetuated by Criminal Politicians and Bureaucrats. It is rare to hear of the the Military Invading the criminal territory of the Bureaucrats. A sample case is that of Gymkhana Club Chennai, which has been hijacked in connivance with MOD officials from the Military on expiry of the lease. The Military Estate, assets and Property solely belong to the Armed Forces which is managed now by the Bureaucrats and Industrialists of Chennai and Military Officers degraded and reduced to dummy members without voting rights. Is this not a scam in greater proportion to the Media- Hyped- Generals- Scam?