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| Director Panchayati Raj directs RDD to stop procurement of solar lights | | | SAAHIL SUHAIL
EARLY TIMES REPORT
ANANTNAG, Apr 11: Taking cognizance of Early Times report ‘RDD officials likely to procure solar lights in violation of norms’, the Director Panchayati Raj has asked Director Rural Development Department Jammu and Kashmir to stop the procurement of solar street lights ‘immediately’. “Kindly refer to news published in Early Times on 10th of April 2021, in this connection you are requested to stop the procurement of solar lights with immediate effect,” reads an order issued by Director Panchayati Raj.
Director PR has asked officers to provide the requisition regarding the number of solar lights in each Panchayat. “Further you are requested to provide the requisition regarding the number of solar lights in each Panchayat so that quality solar lights on uniform rates and specifications can be procured from an agency by following laid down procedures and norms for procurement so that transparency is ensured,” the order No. RD/panch/33/2021 dated 10-04-2021 further reads.
The director has asked the officer to treat the matter ‘most urgent’ and has sent a copy to the Principal Secretary to the Government Department of Rural Department and Panchayati Raj. As reported earlier, a group of officials in Rural Development Department (RDD) are lobbying for procurement of solar lights in violation of norms across Kashmir. Highly placed sources told Early Times that the officials in nexus with influential contractors and some recently elected members were planning to procure the solar street lights locally to mint money. The Rural Development Department has released lakhs of rupees to Panchayat Halqas under 14th Finance Commission and Back to Village Program for installation of solar street lights in rural areas of Kashmir. Each RDD Block has been provided around 40 Lakh rupees for installation of solar street lights in villages.
According to sources, the solar lights installed by the Rural Development Department (RDD) a few years ago aren’t working any Panchayat particularly in South Kashmir areas. They claimed that the solar street lights installed by the department were of spurious quality and hence got dysfunctional a few months later the department commissioned them.
“This time again some elements in RDD were planning to procure poor quality solar lights to mint money but that surely it isn’t going to happen this time,” said an official. |
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