GUJRAT, Oct 3 The Anti-Corruption Establishment, police and irrigation authorities are independently probing massive embezzlement in the department and water theft charges. The scam has surfaced when two irrigation officials have, as sources say, tried to drag each other in the dock.

Sources told Dawn that a sub-divisional officer had got registered 16 cases against his subordinate (a sub-engineer) in the Dinga and Gujrat Civil Lines police stations. The sub-engineer, on the other hand, lodged written complaints of corruption against the SDO and an executive engineer with the irrigation secretary and the ACE.

Sources said a Rs60 million project of concrete lining of the water channels 3/R and 6/R of the Upper Jhelum canal had not been completed in the last two and-a-half years. SDO Rana Masood Ahmad Tahir said he had visited the two channels on July 1, 2009, along with Sub-Engineer Ijaz Ahmad, and found that 14 of the 22 outlets on these channels had been tampered with to steal water.

The SDO asked Ijaz, who was the section in-charge, to explain the irregularity or face action. He said Ijaz, however, failed to give any satisfactory answer and visited him (on July 31) at the Gujrat office where he thrashed him in the presence of other staff and returned hurling threats at him.

The SDO said the matter was reported to the Gujrat police through executive engineer Haroon Khan and the Civil Lines police registered a case against Ijaz Ahmed under sections 506 and 186 of PPC. Sub-engineer Ijaz is the resident of Warraichanwala village which is situated in the same area from where the Upper Jhelum canal passes.

Sources said on the report of SDO Rana Masood, the Dinga police registered 15 different cases on the charges of abetment in water theft and illegally changing the water direction against Ijaz under sections 379 and 430 of PPC on Aug 28.

Meanwhile, the ACE had already launched an inquiry into alleged embezzlement of Rs1.5 million by the SDO and the executive engineer on the complaint of Ijaz. The ACE issued notices to the parties concerned.

About a month ago, the Punjab irrigation secretary also ordered an inquiry into corruption charges.

Kharian police DSP Sultan Meeran has been appointed an inquiry officer in the 15 cases of water theft and he visited the site besides hearing both the parties. Gujrat SP (Investigation) Afzal Virk, meantime, is looking into alleged attack on the SDO.

Sub-engineer Ijaz, who has been suspended from service and is on bail from a court, alleged that the higher-ups were victimising him for not signing a fictitious contingency work-charge men's bills of over Rs1.5 million. Annoyed at his refusal, he said, his bosses got criminal cases registered against him.

He admitted that work on most outlets was still not completed but said he was being made a scapegoat. According to the orders of the irrigation secretary, he said, in case of over 40 per cent water theft from any channel, the SDO, the EXen and the sub-engineer would be responsible but he had been made the sole accused.

He said he had reported water thefts at 3/R and 6/R to SDO Rana Masood in June 2009 but he did not take any action. He denied attacking the SDO or threatening him and alleged that instead he had been tortured by the SDO and other people. He said he had shown scars on his body to the investigation officer as a proof of being manhandled.

SDO Rana Masood, when contacted by Dawn, said he was not scared of any inquiry and would stand tall against blackmail by the sub-engineer who had charged him with making fictitious payments. “The fact is that the government has still to pay Rs20 million (out of Rs60m) to the irrigation department for the project.”

He said besides tampering, some machines installed at these outlets had gone missing and it's the duty of the sub-engineer to protect the equipment or at least report the matter to the department, which Ijaz didn't.