| PHE Deptt Kashmir under scanner, Complaint lodged with ACB | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 3: The Public health engineering department Kashmir has come under scanner, as the anti-corruption Bureau Kashmir, after receiving written complaint, has sought various details from the executive engineer Manufacture and procurement Srinagar.
According to a letter in possession of Early Times, the ACB has sought details pertaining to NIT No. PHE/M&P/06 of 2017-18, details of the items procured vide this NIT.
The ACB has also said in the letter that details should be showing name of company or contractor or supplier, rates, quantity procured, disbursement of each item along with the cost involved.
The ACB has also sought the details of all chemicals like PAC/ Bleaching powder/alum/carbon/DWPE procured during the current year. "The details of supplier and rate contract with all tendering documents be provided".
It has also sought the details of lab furniture/fire extinguisher/lab regent/Lab chemicals during year 2017-18. DI/GI fittings size wise during year 2017-18.
This is not for the first time when the scam hit PHE Kashmir has come under the scanner. Several frauds had taken place there over the last few years.
Last year Vigilance Organization Kashmir had registered a case under Prevention of Corruption Act against PHE Department Budgam and conducted searches in the residential premises of the accused persons.
The case was registered on outcome of a verification conducted into the allegations that officers/officials of PHE Division Budgam in league with each other and by abuse of their official positions to confer undue pecuniary advantage in favour of the contractors.
Accordingly, Case FIR No. 13/2017 under section 5(1)(d) r/w 5(2) J&K P.C. Act, Svt. 2006 and Section 120-B RPC in Police Station Vigilance Organization Kashmir was registered followed by a search of the residential premises of the accused persons.
The vigilance had also booked the Officials, including former chief engineers, of Jammu and Kashmir Public Health Engineering (PHE) department in two cases under Prevention of Corruption Act for causing a loss of crores of rupees to the state exchequer.
The cases were registered following a preliminary inquiry into the allegations that in 2008-09 and 2009-2010 the PHE department had purchased hundreds of metric tons of substandard alumina ferric grade 2nd, putting the exchequer to a loss.
The facts and circumstances had revealed that the officers/officials in connivance with suppliers have put the state exchequer to a loss of Rs 63,09,882, Rs 20,13,950 and Rs 73,19,565, respectively, on three counts-- substandard, exorbitance and tax added rates-- amounting in total Rs 1,56,43,397. |
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