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| Blue-eyed firms make supplies to Kashmir University at higher rates | | | Early Times Report
srinagar, Nov 18:Kashmir University authorities have approved some blue-eyed firms to supply different items to the Varsity who supply the same at higher than market rates thus causing losses worth lakhs on the KU exchequer every year.
Sources said in the name of "emergency" purchases the KU authorities have made purchases worth lakhs of rupees at higher than market rates during the last few years.
They said recently on the occasion of 18th convocation of the KU in October the shamiyana (tent) for the function was to be procured from an approved blue-eyed firm.
"The firm was charging Rs 68000 per day for the tent and when the officials of the Hospitality and Protocol (H&P) Department checked the rates for the same tent in the market it was Rs 40000 per day. After seeing so much variation in the rates the H&P Committee proposed to procure the tent from the market and approval for the same was taken from the Vice-Chancellor," they added.
This is just a tip of the ice-berg and dozens of such malpractices are taking place at the KU.
A senior official in the administration said that to give undue benefits to their own people KU higher authorities have approved blue-eyed firms to supply different items to the Varsity.
"The approved rates are much higher than the market rates. Most of the these rates were approved during former VC Riyaz Punjabi's tenure and commission worth lakhs of rupees was paid by some firms to get higher rates approved," he said.
In the name of "emergency" purchase, he said, items worth lakhs have been procured and no codal formalities are being followed.
"Some of the senior officials of the KU are sleeping partners in the firms which are supplying different items to the Varsity. They ensure that the items are purchased at higher rates thus incurring losses to the KU exchequer in lakhs every year," the official alleged. "Worst hit is the Information Technology Department of the KU where one Information Technologist Maroof Qadri has given maximum of the purchase contracts to his cousin who works in Wipro."
Demanding a vigilance probe in all purchases made in the last three years, he said, "As chancellor of the University, Governor N N Vohra should order a vigilance probe in all the purchases, appointments and promotions made in the last few years."
The Kashmir University during the tenure of Prof. Punjabi always used to remain in news, and ironically for wrong reasons. While he was accused of promoting nepotism amid allegations of several fraudulent admissions, KU insiders say, incumbent VC Prof Talat Ahmad has not been able to change the trend.
"The strong lobby in the KU which has blessings of both the government and the separatists have made Prof Talat ineffective as he doesn't want to annoy them," they claimed. |
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