Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, Apr 2: Acting swiftly on the allegations against Works Department proved through inquiry report, Deputy Commissioner Reasi Prasana Ramaswamy G placed under suspension AEE, JE and Works Supervisor of Public Works Department.
In order to ascertain the merits of the complaint and to verify misconduct of the officials involved with the project, a committee was constituted to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the allegations made by the complainants and report if a prima-facie case could be made out with regard to the misconduct comprising of officers
Committee was comprising of Ramesh Chander, Additional District Development Commissioner, Harbans Lal Assistant Commissioner Revenue and Parshotam Kumar, Deputy Director, DRDA Reasi that submitted its observations based on physical verification of the project in presence of the officials.
The committee observed that the department has constructed crated walls instead of concrete breast walls as proposed in the DPR and only ground concretization work has been done by the department by laying RBM upto shingled and metalled status whereas road is to be upgraded upto BT status. It was also observed by the committee that the physical achievements on ground do not commensurate with financial spending of Rs. 1.16 crore by the department as the major components are yet to be executed by the department. The observations of the committee therefore point towards probable misconduct on part of the officials.
The action was initiated on a complaint received during the Public Darbar chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on 21.02.2018 in Reasi which was lodged by members of the general public residing in the immediate vicinity of the Kheral-Jerir road in Pouni tehsil, Reasi district. The complainants alleged that the general quality of the work executed in the project is sub-standard, also hinting at the possibility of financial impropriety on part of the officials immediately involved with the project.
Considering the serious nature of the allegations leveled against the officials and the preliminary findings of the committee, a departmental enquiry has been ordered into the possible misconduct of S.S Sahwney, AEE, PWD, Sub Division, Pouni, Shadab I/C Junior Engineer & Satpal Work Supervisor with regard to the execution of the project.
Since there is a possibility of financial impropriety and misconduct on behalf of the officials, a separate inquiry into this aspect has been ordered which will be conducted by Additional Deputy Commissioner (District Vigilance Officer) Reasi. Meanwhile, the suspended employees will be attached with the office of Assistant Commissioner Revenue Reasi.