Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 29: A SICOP officer, who procured substandard steel on exorbitant rates, causing huge loss to the exchequer, has been promoted and made head of a region.
The former manager of a SICOP depot, who in connivance with MD, procured 1000 MTS in March 2015, bleeding the state exchequer, was recently promoted, well-placed sources told Early Times.
The Crime Branch Jammu had on July 6, 2014 registered a case (FIR No. 17/2014 u/s 420, 120-B RPC) against some steel TAR manufactures.
"The officer violated norms while procuring the material, which was not ISI certified," said sources.
"The order placing authority in SICOP should invariably check the quality of the steel. But in this case the corporation, despite having its own testing arrangement both at Srinagar and Jammu with latest equipment, never undertakes test of TAR/TMT steel but only rely on the test certificate issued by the manufacturers," said sources, adding that there was no third party testing.
Sources said that rates allowed to mill owners were for ISI certified material, but inferior quality material was supplied to the SICOP.
"The TMT and TAR steel of untested quality, when used in constructions, are dangerous. No attention is being paid to areas declared as high risk seismic zones where specified quality of TMT/TOT/steel is required to be utilized," the sources said. |
