SRINAGAR, Aug. 27: After its revelations about functioning in R&B department created ripples, the CAG report has now exposed misdoings in fisheries department where it is reported that bungling involving lakhs of rupees have gone unnoticed by the state government. Quoting sources, a local news gathering agency KNS has said that almost 50 lakhs rupees released by the National Hydel Power Corporation for the maintenance of various channels across the valley have been misappropriated. “During a cursory check up of works at the site, it was observed that the funds of Rs. 50 Lakhs released by the NHPC against the project cost of Rs. 211.41 lakhs under rehabilitation programme has not been utilized properly,” reads an official communiqué from Joint Director Planning Forest Department to the Director of the Fisheries Department vide his no. FST/ Plan-20/2009 dated 02-08-2012. Sources within the department have told KNS that the amount had been released to the fisheries department to execute the works at Salamabad Uri II on 17-07-2012. However, the works were never executed and an amount of Rs 50 lakhs was withdrawn from the allotted project money. Consequently an enquiry committee was set up to probe the matter which evidently found that only Rs 6 lakhs were actually spent on works against the withdrawn amount of Rs 50 lakhs. “It was observed that hardly an amount of Rs 6 Lakhs only would have been expended against the released amount of Rs 50 lakhs,” reads the letter signed by Joint Director Planning, Forest Department, a copy of which lies with KNS. Interestingly Director of the Fisheries department was asked to provide the break up of the expenditure, however the Joint Director has termed the reply of the Director as “unproductive/ infractions” and has advised the Director to refer the case to State Vigilance Organization. “Whereas you were expected to furnish the component-wise break up of the expenditure of rupees 50 lakhs vide letter of even No. dated 20-07-2012 followed by a reminder of even No. dated 2-8-2012,” reads the from the Joint Director Planning Forests. Advising the Director Fisheries to refer the case to Vigilance organization, JD (P) Forests has asked Director Fisheries to conduct a departmental inquiry into the matter and asked him to treat it as last opportunity for submitting the report of the expenditure. Meanwhile, sources revealed to KNS that the matter was raised with the concerned Minster on whose instructions a high level enquiry committee has been framed vide letter No. DF/ Tech/12/559-62 dated 14-08-2012. The committee comprises P.K Dogra, Joint Director Fisheries, Mohd Shaban, Sr. Aquaculture Engineer, Mohd. Hussain Wani Asst Director Fishries Budgam and Nazir Ahmad Section Officer Planning and the report is still awaited, the sources added. The employees and the officers of then Fisheries department, meanwhile, have accused Director Fisheries for covering up the mess.