Rs 6 cr non-existent works in Kupwara
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Apr 17: The Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) attached three engineers including Executive Engineer while an inquiry has been ordered against them for withdrawing Rs 6 crores for non-existent works in Kupwara.
The Superintendent Engineer Sopore has been asked to conduct the inquiry on the basis of the report received from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Those attached include Executive Engineer Electric Division Kulgam, Shamim Ahmad who was transferred from Kupwara recently, Assistant Engineer Mudasir Ismael and Junior Engineer Manzoor Hassan Chowdery.
The ACB has found that Rs 6 Cr was withdrawn from the treasury which was shown to be spent for the procurement and installation of over 3,600 solar street lights in Kupwara.
During physical verification, not a single solar light was found installed by Electric Division Kupwara in the territorial jurisdiction of Electric Sub-Division Kupwara and Electric Sub-Division Trehgam.
The expose came after people of Kupwara had complained that officials of the Electric Division (ED) had withdrawn over Rs 6 crore from the treasury for works not executed or non-existent on ground.
During the spot inspections, the ACB teams observed that a payment of Rs 6.12 crore had been made illegally to four contractor firms without installing the allotted solar lights.
Subsequently, the ACB has written to the Government’s General Administration Department and recommended action against the delinquent officials including cancellation of the tender and recovery of the payments.
AEE Sub Division Kupwara conveyed to Executive Engineer ED Kupwara vide letter No: ESDK/1242-44 dated 28-03-2023 that execution of the allotted works was not possible at the fag end of the financial year in two or three days.
Similar communication came to Executive Engineer ED Kupwara from AEE Sub Division Trehgam on 28-03-2023. It read: “It is impossible for the contractors / Sub Division to complete the erection of poles and installation of solar lights nearly 02 or 03 thousand solar lights. Else it is difficult for sub division to make billing against such a work when nothing is executed on ground”.
But Executive Engineer ED Kupwara got the bills prepared through Assistant Engineer Stores, Mudasir Ismail, and JE Store Manzoor Hassan Choudhary instead of the authorised territorial AEEs and JEs.
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