Jammu, September 12: The Jammu and Kashmir Jal Shakti Department has dropped disciplinary proceedings against retired Junior Engineer Ravi Kant Khajuria in connection with an Anti-Corruption Bureau case concerning alleged irregularities in flood protection works along the Chenab River in Reasi.
The matter relates to FIR No. 04/2020 registered by the ACB Udhampur over alleged misappropriation of funds and a purported loss of Rs 10.87 lakh to the state exchequer in flood protection works at Chumbla, Reasi, carried out between 2010-11 and 2014-15.
The FIR named three officials, Bansi Lal Bhardwaj, the then Executive Engineer, Virender Kumar Khajuria, the then Assistant Executive Engineer, and Ravi Kant Khajuria, the then Junior Engineer of Mahore Irrigation Division Dharmari.
During verification, the ACB had alleged that two works at RD 380-410 metres were shown as having been executed departmentally despite work at the same location having already been carried out by a contractor. It also found discrepancies between recorded measurements and measurements taken during spot inspections of four other earthen embankment works.
The ACB subsequently concluded the case as “Not-Proved” and filed a closure report before the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, Udhampur.
The court accepted the closure report through an order dated July 14, 2025. The court observed that the works in question existed on the ground and found no loss to the state exchequer or duplication of works.
The court, however, observed that the then Executive Engineer should have re-tendered the works instead of getting them executed departmentally, describing the decision as a procedural lapse.
The Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control, Jammu, had also recommended dropping the disciplinary proceedings against Ravi Kant Khajuria, stating that the works had been executed on an urgent basis for flood mitigation on the directions of the then Executive Engineer.
In view of the ACB's closure report and the court's order, the competent authority, Minister In-charge, Jal Shakti, approved the dropping of disciplinary proceedings against Ravi Kant Khajuria.
The department also ordered closure of the matter against the other two retired officers, Bansi Lal Bhardwaj and Virender Kumar Khajuria, against whom no formal disciplinary proceedings had been instituted.
With the government order, the disciplinary proceedings against Ravi Kant Khajuria stand dropped, and no further departmental action has been ordered in the matter.
