| PHE dumps departmental fleet, hires 24 luxurious SUVs for officers | | Ineligible enjoy extravaganza too | | G S Asgotra
Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 16: In sheer violation of norms, Public Health Engineering Departments have hired nearly 24 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) from the private operators in Jammu division by dumping department's own vehicles.
Moreover, three officials of the department who were not entitled to avail official vehicles were also using hired luxurious vehicles since last many years. "Chief Accounts Officer, Deputy Director Planning (DDP) and Technical Officer to Chief Engineer of PHE department Jammu are among the officials who are unauthorizedly using luxurious SUVs vehicles", said an official while wishing anonymity.
Source further informed Early Times that three Superintendent Engineers including Superintendent Engineer Urban Circle and Superintendent Engineer Rural Circle both of them from Mechanical division and one from Hydraulic Circle Jammu, engaged Bolero, Xylo and Scorpio that too at exorbitant rates i,e 35,000 to 40,000 per month per vehicle and approximately Rs Five Lakh were paid to owner of the vehicle/ per year.
"Whereas, four other Superintendent Engineers deputed at different circles including Superintendent Engineer Udhampur, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri also hired luxurious SUVs dumping the fleet of departmental vehicles. Only the Superintendent Engineer of Doda is plying government vehicle (Gypsy)", said sources.
Sources further said that nearly 14 Executive Engineers of Jammu division hired domestic luxurious vehicles in which four Executive Engineers including XEn Ground Water, XEn Procurement, XEn Rural (civil) and XEn (South) of Jammu district were using Maruti Swift Dezire, Toyota Innova, Scorpio and Maruti ERTIGA.
"While Executive Engineers i.e. Akhnoor, Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur (civil), Udhampur (Mech), Ramban, Kathua (civil), Kathua (Mech) and Samba (civil) either used Bolero or Scorpio for official as well as private purpose.
However, as per the set norms, the department can hire only commercials vehicles that too through tender system, but the officials rather than inviting tender for the vehicles, taking verbally permission from the higher rung officials and hired luxurious domestic vehicles at its own basis.
"If someone initiate independent enquiry over illegally vehicles engaged by the department officials, they would be found that most of vehicles are registered either on the officials' or their relatives' name", said sources. |
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