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DD has also allotted Rs 24 Lakh project to MLA Mubarak Gul’s corporator son

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

JAMMU, Mar 1: In brazen violation of its own guidelines for commissioning of programmes for the infamous ‘Kashir Channel’, Directorate General of Doordarshan has actually allotted projects worth Rs 42 Lakh to the National Conference MLA Mubarak Gul’s family. While as six episodes of the Kashmiri fiction ‘Azla Lone’ (Rs 18 Lakh) have been allotted directly in the name of MLA Mubarak Gul (Gulistan Productions), yet another project worth Rs 24 Lakh---eight episodes of the Dogri drama serial, titled ‘Allhar Golli Vir Sepoy’---has been allotted in the name of his son Younis Gul (Himalayan Communications). Mr Mubarak Gul is currently serving his fourth term as NC’s MLA from Iddgah while as his son, Younis Gul, is an elected councilor in Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and has been representing Islamyarbal (Maharaj Gunj) ward since February, 2005.

DD sources revealed to early Times that the father as well as the son have accepted the allotment letters and signed the contracts for the two projects worth Rs 42 Lakh as late as in January-February 2010. However, nobody at Mandi House responded to phone calls for official confirmation. Both the letters of allotment came to the MLA’s previous official residence, Government Quarter No: J-14 Jawahar Nagar, and were later diverted to his lately allotted ministerial bungalow in Tulsi Bagh, in Srinagar. A law graduate, Mr Younis has also served as Chairman of SMC’s Public Health committee for two years.

Guideline GENERAL (N) v has been clearly violated by DD’s Evaluation Committee, headed by Deputy Director General incharge DD Kashir, Ananya Banerjee, in making the allotment of two programmes for the MLA and his son--- members of one family. It reads: ‘Normally more than one proposal from members of the same family, Production House/Producer will not be considered keeping in view principles of equity and natural justice’.

As clearly posted on DD’s official website ddindia.gov.in/Information/Kashir Channel, Mr Younis name figures on serial number 122 of the list of allottee producers. While the MLA father made the personal presentation for his proposal file No: 1/67/36/09-KC before a committee of officials at Mandi House in New Delhi on 23-06-2009, the corporator son appeared before the same with his proposal file No: 1/191/444/09-KC on 29-06-2009. Both of their proposed projects were scandalously approved by DDG, Ms Ananya Banerjee, and Director General, Ms Aruna Sharma, in violation of the guidelines prescribed for the commissioning process.

MLA Gul has been regularly drawing his monthly salary and all other perks from Legislative Assembly. His son has been drawing honorarium of Rs 6,000 plus Rs 1,000 as telephone expenses every month from SMC. While all other guidelines have been brazenly violated by the DD authorities, this kind of largesse has been scandalously granted in favour of at least 15 families in J&K and 5 more outside. Those who have bagged the allotments, allegedly on payment of huge amounts of bribe, include a number of defeated candidates of 2008 Assembly elections, regular government officials and their proxy front producers and also two taxi drivers and cooks of some favoured producers. Only after DD was dragged to court by about 50 genuine producers who have been ignored, it was forced to post the list of allottee producers on its website, nearly four months after issuing the allotment letters in a controversial manner.

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