STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) on Thursday booked an Executive Engineer and an Assistant Executive Engineer of PWD (R&B) Division Udhampur for misappropriating the government funds meant for the construction of foot suspension bridge over Devak Nallah at Benisang.
Interestingly, the Joint Surprise Check conducted on the spot revealed that no bridge was actually constructed over Devak Nallaha at Benisang by the PWD (R&B) Division Udhampur.
The check was conducted following allegations in a complaint against PWD R&B Division Udhampur for drawing Rs. 24.25 lakhs against the construction of this bridge.
Today, the SVO registered FIR 01/2016 under section 5 (1)(d) read with 5 (2) J&K P.C. Act Svt. 2006 and 120-B RPC against S. P. Gupta, then Executive Engineer, Ram Singh the then AEE, Verinder Kumar the then JE, PWD (R&B) Division Udhampur, and others for misappropriating Rs. 24.25 lakhs against the construction of bridge over Devak Nallah.
The preliminary inquiry revealed that XEn PWD(R&B) Division Udhampur S. P. Gupta floated tender for the work of repair to Foot Suspension Bridge 365′-0″ span over river Tawi at Benisang for a tendered cost of Rs.9 lakhs vide NIT No: T-30/2009-10, dated 7/2009.
The work was further allotted to Contractor Kuldeep Raj, son of Bishan Dass, resident of village Bain for an allotted amount of Rs.11.32 lakhs vide Executive Engineer allotment No. 4543-49, dated August 31, 2009.
The Executive Engineer PWD(R&B) Division Udhampur floated tender without Technical Sanction (TS) which is a pre-requisite as per rules.
According to SVO, in absence of accord of AAA/TS/availability of funds against a specific work, the tenders cannot be floated by the Executive Engineer and thus these officers abused their official position. Funds to the tune of Rs.23.90 lakhs were received by the department under District Plan in installments in anticipation of accord of AAA for the work Construction of 38.00 mts. span Foot Suspension Bridge over Devak Nallah at Benisang during the period 2008-09.
