STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Exposing the nexus between engineers and contractors, the State Vigilance Organisation on Wednesday registered an FIR for sub-standard construction work over Rs 1.50 crore Bailey Bridge on Nallah Rambiara at Trenz Sheikhpora in District Shopian.
During the preliminary vigilance checks, the bridge, constructed by R&B Shopian, without administrative approval and technical sanction, collapsed due to use of sub standard material in its construction.
A joint SVO team comprising Muzamil Ahmad Rafiqi, Assistant Executive Engineer, Vigilance Organisation Kashmir and Inspector Farooq Hussain conducted surprise check in the office of Executive Engineer R&B Division Shopian under the supervision of SSP Abdual Quyoom.
During the investigations, it was established that Bailey Bridge on Nallah Rambiara at Trenz had been constructed by R&B Shopian without administrative approval and technical sanction. Surprisingly, the bridge collapsed during the course of joint surprise checks as it was not designed to the specification besides the usage of sub standard construction material.
Many similar bridges have also been constructed in other spots in the same area also, which are under investigation, revealed said SVO sleuths.
It was further revealed during the course of check that in the last two years the restoration has been shown done five times at this spot with following nomenclatures:-
Construction of 2×24 meter span Balley Bridge over Nallah Rambiara at Trenz on Trenz Sheikhpora road at a DPR cost of Rs.82.64 lakh; Construction of 4 numbers of stone masonry abutment in wire crates with RCC Jacketing for 2×24 meter Balley Bridge at Trenz on Rambiara Nallah Trenz Sheikhpora road at a cost of Rs 34.46 lakh; Restoration of Trenz Sheikhpora road by way of Crate bund at a cost of Rs 4.92 lakh; Restoration of washed away vented causeway on Trenz Sheikhpora road by way of RBM filling; laying of RCC pipes and crate protection works (Right side) (flood damage) at a cost of Rs 10.67 lakh including cost of pipes/crates; Permanent restoration by way of construction of RCC approach walls and Nallah protection work of 7x20meter Rambiara Bridge in Km 47th on Pampore-Shopian Road at a cost of Rs17.48 lakh.
Thus during the course of preliminary investigations an amount of Rs 150.17 lakh have been found wasted, instead the R&B Division should have proposed a permanent bridge which should have sustained. Likewise crores of rupees have been spent by the said Division on other spots of the same Nallah (Rambiara) at Batpopra. Detailed investigation has been set in motion to establish the involvement of the engineers and contractors for wasting government exchequer.
