Defeats purpose to modernize verification of weigh bridges
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 31: The failure of the Legal Metrology Department (LMD) to engage driver/trained staff for operating mobile cranes fitted with weigh-bridge testing kits provided by Government of India for an amount of Rs 1.18 crore, not only led to under-utilization of these vehicles but it also defeated the intended purpose to modernize the verification of weigh bridges.
This has been pointed by Comptroller and Advocate General (CAG) of India in its latest report. According to the report, Government of India (GoI) under the scheme ‘Strengthening of Weights and Measures Infrastructure’ provided two mobile cranes (one in December 2008 and another in March 2012) fitted with weigh bridge testing kits at an amount of Rs 1.18 crore to the LMD, Jammu and Kashmir.
In March 2009, the Deputy Controller LMD Jammu projected a minimum revenue of Rs 10 lakh per annum by use of these mobile testing kits and subsequently in November 2011, the Government of J&K fixed Rs 2000 as user fee for utilization of mobile kit loaded with testing weights for verification of weigh bridges installed across J&K.
However, the audit of records by CAG revealed that one mobile crane received in December 2008 could not be put to use till May 2010 on the grounds of non-availability of driver/operator and required funds for maintenance and subsequently from May 2010 to November 2010, it was put to use for only seven months by obtaining a driver on deputation from J&K State Road Transport Corporation.
Thereafter, the mobile crane remained off the road (since November 2010) and parked in the premises of a private industry at the Industrial Estate Kathua, where the rear tyres of the mobile crane were stolen in January 2011, for which a First Information Report was also lodged in concerned police station.
In August 2012, the Joint Controller, LMD Jammu requested Director LMD, New Delhi for withdrawal of the mobile crane, on the grounds that due to its large size, it could not be used optimally in the lanes and by lanes of industrial units of Jammu.
Subsequently, a second mobile crane was received from Government of India in March 2012 and it was put to use only from February 2015 to June 2018 after making internal arrangements for a driver. However, this second mobile crane also remained non-functional since July 2018 due to non-availability of a driver.
As the Department failed to engage driver/trained staff to ensure effective usage and maintenance for functioning of these cranes, they remained idle. Thus, the Department could recover user fee of Rs 17.74 lakh only during 2009-18 by the use of these testing kits fitted mobile cranes which was far less than the estimated user fee of Rs 90 lakh projected in March 2009 by Deputy Controller, LMD Jammu.
Further, it came to fore that 887 weigh bridges were verified/re-verified by the Department during 2009-18 but only 171 weigh bridges were verified/re-verified by using the testing kits provided and remaining 716 weigh bridges were passed without utilization of testing kits and now, these testing kits have become scrap as they do not adhere to the new norms for registration of commercial vehicles. It also came to light that these mobile cranes were neither registered with Transport Department nor any effort was made in this regard.
Thus, failure of the LMD to engage driver/trained staff not only led to financial loss to the Government but it also defeated the intended purpose of procuring mobile cranes worth Rs 1.18 crore i.e. modernization and transformation of the manual practice of calibration/verification of weigh bridges.
The CAG, in its report advised the LMD to ensure that required manpower is available before requisition for machinery is processed so that it (machinery) may be used optimally and modernization as well as transformation of the work processes may be achieved fully.
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