New Delhi July 27: Ever regretted being patriotic? Eleven men in Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan say they are trying hard not to regret the sentiment that roused them in those days of the battle for Kargil and Drass into donating over a lakh rupees towards the Kargil Fund.The reason is that to this day they have no clue as to whom their donations have benefited. And they are here in Delhi to persuade the prime Minister himself to unearth the truth and punish culprits.The transporters who form a huge unbrella group called Sri Ganganagar Tourist Bus Operators Association had donated Rs 1,11,000 towards the kargil Fund on July 29. They never received a receipt from the District Transport Officer Madanlal Meena who had been raising the funds. He told them that they would get a receipt when they get a picture taken with the Collector, recalls Pawan Kataria of Kataria tour and travel.When they later complained to the District Collector of Sri Ganganagar three months later, Meena immediately deposited Rs 44,000 on October 27 and produced a receipt for the same. He had no exlanatin as to the delayed deposit. As for the rest of the amount, he maintained that he had received only that many.But no action followed and no attempt followed to find out about the rest of the money.The transporters included Chandra Shubh Yatra, Kataria Tour and Travel, Divya Travels, Siddharth Travel, Rajpreet Travel, Sangam Travels, Krishna Travels and Pink City Travels have complained to the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlaut half a dozen times.Meena was transferred later to Jaipur but that was termed a routine thing. The transporters including Chandra Shubh Yatra, Kataria Tour and Travel, Divya Travels, Siddharth Travel, Rajpreet Travel, Sangam Travels, Krishna Travels and Pink City Travels, are still left with the unanswered question as to what happened to the rest of the money?Speaking to this reporter from Jaipur over phone today, Meena said that he had been asked by the District Collector K.N.Gupta to raise at least a lakh for the fund. He said that Gupta had expressed dissatisfaction at the Rs 11,000 his office had been able to offer towards the fund from salaries.He said that the transporters were making allegations as they had a grouse against him because he had seized about 15 or 20 of their buses and they had to pay about two lakh rupees in penalties.Asked why he did not given them a cheque receipt as soon as he received the money, he said that they had given the money in instalments and he kept waiting for the entire amount. ``It is a major scandal and inquiries by the Collector as well as the Chief Minister have proved that I have been given only Rs 44,000,'' he said.Asked why he was transferred to Jaipur, he said that it was usual in such cases and had nothing to do with his being guilty.Sri Ganganagar District Collector K.N.Gupta told this reporter over phone today that the government had given up attempts to find out about the rest of the amount or to prove how much that amount was. He said it was too late for that. ``These transporters had complained to me that the DTO was yet to deposit the donated amount in the Kargil Fund. When I ordered an inquiry Meena deposited Rs 44,000 and submitted a receipt. But the inquiry was inconclusive and we sent the report to the State Government,'' says Gupta.He is said it is possible that more money was involved but it has not been possible to find that out.The transfer of Meena, the Collector admitted, was not a punishment transfer.Pawan Kataria alongwith Badar Singh of Divya Travels and Raj Kumar Sidhana of Rajpreet Travels have met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlaut half a dozen times appealing for action against the culprits and for unearthing the remaining money. But he has said that the matter is with the Transport Commissoiner, Ram Khiladi Meena, a relative of Meena.Kataria says they would now appeal to the Prime Minister and later move the State High Court.``If nothing is done, no one will ever again donate money for any cause,'' warns Kataria.
