news details |
|
|
| Scam surfaces in samba division of PHE | | Crores of works allotted without tendering, involvement of ex-Chief Engineer surfaces | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
Jammu, Nov 19: In blatant violation of codal requirements, Public Health and Engineering (PHE) department allegedly allotted more than 100 works worth Rs. 25 crore to private parties in Samba without floating tenders during the year 2004-05.
The list of works, a copy of which lies with Early Times clearly maintains that the works were carried out without tenders owing to "political and official intervention of higher-ups." Not only codal requirements, works have been allotted in complete contravention of official circulars issued by higher officials of PHE department.
Documentary evidence available with Early Times reveals that government repeatedly directed the then Chief Engineer PHE's office not to allot works without competitive bidding and ensure that all works are carried out in transparent manner, but all these directions were ignored. These works, as per the records, have been allotted allegedly during the tenure of Ex-Chief Engineer I.R.Shahmiri citing demand from the local public, pressure created by MLAs besides urgent nature of the works.
The works range from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 20 lakh and it is estimated that the works cost over Rs 25 crore in totality, records reveal. Even works which were to be performed departmentally have been outsourced to private parties by concerned officials.
In response to a complaint was lodged by local leaders of Samba with Estimates Committee of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in the year 2005-06, a team of legislators visited the Samba division of PHE, interacted with both the officials and locals and after getting detailed account of the happenings, left never to return again. The committee had been handed over records of the works allotted without tendering.
Among the works allotted without tendering included construction of RCC Dugwell and Pump Room at Khara Madana under Water Supply Scheme Chirk under Kandi belt vide letter no: PHEJ/PS/138 Dated 29-05-2004 costing Rs. 10 lakh and construction of 10,000 gallons overhead tank at village Kandral under Water Supply Scheme (WSS) Samdhoo vide letter no: PHEJ/PS/116-17 dated 29-05-2004 costing Rs. 4.86 lakh.
The complaint whose present status is not known clearly mentions that locals in Samba had handed over documentary evidence which included official records, written statements of locals and affidavits to substantiate allegations of gross violation of existing codal provisions, desecration of various directions of higher authorities, defilement of engineering specifications, fabrication of official records, use of dilapidated pipes in new schemes and withdrawal of payments without submission of proper bills.
Locals maintain that government preferred not to order an impartial probe into the misdeeds of Ex-Chief Engineer I.R.Shahmiri owing to the influence he had in the higher echelons of power. They said that this Rs. 25 crore scam has already been brought into the notice of government and a request for initiating probe into this scam is pending with the Chief Minister's grievance cell.
However, when PHE officials were contacted, they said that practice of allotting works without tendering has been going on for long due to political pressures and compulsions. "No formalities are being followed in such cases. Responsibility shouldn't be fixed on Ministers or MLAs only. Some of our engineers are also responsible for it. Hardly any inspection was carried out to check quality of works," officials wishing anonymity said.
"Works which involve lakhs of rupees have to be carried out after following proper codal procedure. If at all there is any minor provision for some works to be carried out on emergency basis, the emergency is to be clearly delineated," said an official in the PHE Department. "And then has anyone made a spot inspection of these works and observed if they have been carried out at all or not. And who are the contractors who have been given these works. Have they been approved by the Department," the official said. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
