SVO challans retd, serving engineers

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 26: State Vigilance Organization (SVO) today produced challan in the court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Jammu against the former Superintending Engineer, two serving Assistant Executive Engineers and two Junior Engineers for causing loss to the tune of Rs 16,14,784 to the State exchequer.
The accused officials are Yoginder Saproo, the then Executive Engineer, Sub-Transmission Division Udhampur (retired as Superintending Engineer), Fareed Ahmed Tak, presently Assistant Executive Engineer Electric Estates Jammu, Saral Singh Manhas, presently Assistant Executive Engineer in Maintenance Division Doda, Muhammad Idress Khan, at present JE in the office of Chief Engineer, Planning and Designing and Tariq Hussain, presently JE in Maintenance Division Batote.
According to the Vigilance case, during the year 2004-05 an amount of Rs 170.87 lakh was released for the construction of 33/11 KV Receiving Station-II at Dallaian, Bhaderwah. On test check and inspection of civil works— land leveling of Receiving Station Dallaian, construction of breast wall and drain at upper terrace, construction of retaining wall along the road side, construction of platform for equipment and switch yard at the lower terrace, construction of breast wall between upper and lower terrace etc it came to fore that the accused officials, who were then posted in Electric and Maintenance Sub-Transmission Division Udhampur in league with each other hatched a criminal conspiracy and in furtherance of the same made payments for non executed civil works.
During verification, on ground measurements of works executed did not tally with measurements for which payments were released. The test check of these civil works revealed that the accused officers with criminal intention executed the works for an amount of about Rs 14 lakh on ground against the payment of Rs 31 lakh drawn from the State exchequer.
During the course of investigation records having bearing on the subject matter of the case were seized and scrutinized. The statement of the witnesses were also recorded and evidence collected to link the documents with the accused public servants.
Yoginder Saproo, the then Executive Engineer also approved and passed these fraudulent bills without cross verifying the measurements on ground, extra charging on activities which were not part of the project report and also ignored the charging of extra amount on carriage and transportation reflected by his co-conspirator officers/officials.
On the basis of evidence like the engineering reports, spot inspections and other documentary evidences the accused were found responsible for causing loss to the tune of Rs 16,14,784 to the State exchequer. Accordingly, after completion of investigation and obtaining Government sanction challan in the case was produced in the court of Special Judge, Anti-Corruption for judicial determination.