Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 18: The Vigilance Organization Jammu has booked several officers and officials of the PHE Department for irregularities in purchase of six numbers Horizontal Centrifugal Pump-Sets on highly exorbitant rates in the year 2009.
During verification, it has been revealed that for four complete pump sets an amount of Rs 1,03,26,430/- has been shown paid to the contractor/supplier as per bills submitted to Commercial Taxes Department and by adding 18.5 percent for insurance, freight, entry charges, handling charges including VAT (as per terms and conditions of tender document) and by further incorporating 15 percent as contractor’s profit. The total cost of one pump set has been calculated as Rs 35,18,086.
It is thus evident that the price quoted by the supplier i.e. Rs 64,00,000 per pump set is exorbitant and after deducting 2 percent discount, the exorbitancy thus worked per pump set came to the tune of Rs 27,53,914 and two more pump sets of the same specifications were found purchased on 25.05.2009 by another purchase committee on the basis of repeat order. Therefore, cumulative loss to the State exchequer on account of exorbitant price of six pump sets purchased from M/S UEE Electrical Engineering Ltd. has been found as Rs 1,65,23,484/-.
An FIR under section 5(1)(d) read with 5(2) of J&K PC Act 2006 and Section 120-B RPC has been registered on the prima facie establishment of offences against the then Chief Engineer, PHE Department, Jammu; the then S E. PHE Mech. Urban Circle, Jammu; then SE Hydraulic Circle Jammu; then CAO, PHE Department, Jammu; then Tech Officer to Chief Engineer PHE Department, Jammu; then Ex Engineer, PHE (M), Procurement Division, Jammu in league with each other and with private persons namely Ashok Sehgal, then Director, M/S UEE Electrical Engineer Pvt Ltd and Shailesh Tripathi, then Project Manager, M/s UEE Electrical Engineer Pvt. Ltd.
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