5 engineers booked by J and K Vigilance Organisation for corruption

Srinagar, Jan 24 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Vigilance Organisation (VO) has registered two cases against five engineers of Public Works Department for irregulanties in the purchase of Flournite Concrete Hardener.

A VO spokesman said material worth over Rs 26 lakh was ordered at the rate of Rs 44 per Kg by successive engineers in the two Divisions of PWD( Roads and Buildings) without inviting any competitive bids. He said the orders were placed with ''favourite'' suppliers to benefit the officials.

He said during the enquiry into the purchases it was revealed part of the flournite concrete hardener available in that the stocks was packed by M/S National Tile Works, Delhi.

Enquiries with the said firm revealed that the cost of the material in September 2006 was Rs 4 per Kg excluding freight and taxes.

This prima facie indicated how a material costing Rs 4 per Kg in Delhi was procured at Rs 44 per Kg.

He said in pursuance to a criminal conspiracy hatched around April-May 2003 by Puran Bharat Gandhi, the then Executive Engineer , PWD (R&B) Udhampur with Nazir Ahmed Tramboo, Rajbagh Srinagar, M/S Zaffar Iqbal, Afghan Mohalla, Jammu and M/S Hindustan Paints, Udhampur, 116 quintals of Flournite Concrete Hardener was purchased from the three suppliers at the rate Rs 44 per Kg.

Similarly, Dharam Veer Koul, the then exective engineer, PWD(R&B) during the year 2004-05 continued the process and purchased 240 quintals of the material from M/S Hindustan Paints, Udhampur and M/S A.D.Choudhary, Magharmal Bagh, Srinagar.

Hari Krishan Koul, the then Superintendent Engineer PWD(R&B) Circle, Udhampur was also found to have ordered the purchase of 50 quintals of material in 2004 from M/S Alla-ud-din ngineers/Suppliers, Gandhi Nagar Jammu.

The spokesman said in similar purchases done during 2003 and 2004 by Construction Division Ist, Jammu D K Sharma, the then Executive Engineer conspired with various suppliers and placed orders for 50 qunintals of Flournite Concrete Hardener with each firm without Pnviting any competitive bids and received supplies at the rate of Rs 44 per Kg.

In the same Division T R Sargotra, Executive Engineer in the year 2005 placed orders for 50 quintals with M/S Nazir Ahmed Tramboo Rajbagh Srinagar.

Besides the exorbitant rates, the purchases were also made without any requirement as entire quantity of 220 quintals of Flournite Concrete Hardener purchased since 2003 was found unused and stocked in the stores of Construction Division Ist, Jammu.

Similarly, 296 quintals of the material was found unused and stocked in the stores of Construction Division, Udhampur.

UNI