STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Special Judge Anticorruption Jammu Ritesh Dubey on Thursday framed corruption charges against Dalip Thusu, the then Manager JKPCC and Harkewal Singh the then Dy. General Manager JKPCC, for the collapse of 17 pillars of Devak Bridge at Utter Behani in Jammu.
According to the ACB, the case was registered on the outcome of a verification conducted by the Vigilance Organisation (now ACB) to inquire into the allegations of collapse of 17 pillars of 151-meter Devak bridge at Utter Behani due to faulty design and poor earthwork. The verification reveals that the bridge was damaged due to heavy rains on August 11 and 12, 2011 after only 5 years of its completion. “The verification further reveals that the bridge was constructed by A K Construction at the approved rate of JKPCC. The R&B department had authorised JKPCC to start the work without prior vetting and proof check from the Design Directorate. No administrative approval and pre-requisite technical sanction was obtained before starting work,” officials said. The spot inspection and scrutiny of the records revealed that in the construction of bridge, the basic and obligatory requirement of investigation – bridge foundation investigation, FBI hydrology, sub soil exploration, bearing strength of soil and discharge of river had been completely ignored prior to design and execution of work which had led to construction of unstable bridge structure. The investigation conducted had revealed that a criminal conspiracy was hatched by the accused Thusu and Singh.
In pursuance to that, the project and construction of the bridge was undertaken without prior vetting of the design from Design Directorate, Jammu. The technical aspects were ignored prior to its execution leading to failure of the bridge. The exercise of construction of such a bridge was found futile. It failed to serve the purpose, thereby rendering the entire expenditure wasteful and causing loss to the state exchequer.
After hearing both the sides, the Special Judge Anticorruption observed that the offences under section 5(1) (c)(d) r/w sections 5(2) J&K PC Act Svt 2006, 120-B RPC are prima facie establish the offences alleged it and framed charges against the accused.
