STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Special Judge Anticorruption, Jammu Sanjeev Gupta on Wednesday granted three days police remand of D. D Gorkha, the then Superintending Engineer, PWD(R&B) Udhampur; P. S Sehgal, the then Superintending Engineer, PWD(R&B) Reasi-Udhampur circle; A. K Gandotra, the then Executive Engineer PWD(R&B) Division, Udhamapur and V. K Sharma, the then Executive Engineer PWD(R&B) Division, Udhampur for their alleged involvement in allotting work to blue eyed contractors.
The accused were produced in custody by Inspector Niaz Ul Hussain of Vigilance Organisation, Jammu for seeking remand in case FIR No. 06/2017 of Police Station, VOJ for the offences under Sections 5(1) (e) read with 5(2) of P.C Act 2006 and Section 120-B RPC.
According to the police, a case under FIR No. 06/2017 was registered against the aforementioned officers and beneficiaries namely Ashok Kumar and Harminder Singh on the basis of verification conducted into the allegations of glaring irregularities and gross violations committed by the accused public servants in allotment and execution work of a bridge during the period 2012-13.
The verification revealed that the construction of abutments for 41.50 m clear span motorable bridge on Thalora Sartari road at Dugee Khad including construction of approaches was allotted at a much higher cost of Rs 92.75 lakh than the advertised cost of Rs 81.70 lakh in which only two contractors Ashok Kumar and Harminder Singh participated. The concerned Superintending Engineer, PWD (R&B) Circle, Udhampur, instead of re-tendering the work to ensure fair competition, allotted the work to a blue eyed contractor namely Ashok Kumar.
The verification further revealed that the Superintending Engineer, PWD (R&B) Circle, Udhampur and Executive Engineer PWD (R&B) Division, Udhampur in connivance with each other subsequently allotted remaining works of Rs. 177.28 lakh without calling tenders. However, in order to cover up their illegal acts, they accorded three post facto approvals for Rs. 60 lakh, Rs 42.08 lakh and Rs. 60 lakh, besides allotting an additional work order of Rs. 15.20 against the said work to the same contractor, the police added.
The verification also revealed that the other tendered works including dismantling of existing 41.50 m steel grid motorable bridge over Khu Nallah on Udhampur-Ramnagar road and its re-launching on Thalora Sartari road over Dugee Khad including laying of RCC bed plates and deck slab was also allotted at a higher cost of Rs. 28.01 lakh against an advertised cost of Rs. 22 lakh in which only aforementioned contractors participated and work was allotted to contractor Harminder Singh by Executive Engineer PWD (R&B) Division Udhampur. No rate analysis was done by the said officials to arrive at the reasonability of rates thus making all the allowed rates doubtful, the police added.
Meanwhile, a bail application has been filed in the Court of Additional Sessions Judge, Udhampur who fixed 2nd September, 2017 as date for report and objections.
