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| R&B Minister red faced as Government procures bitumen from open market | | Tall claims of 'sufficient stock' vanish in thin air | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
srinagar, Sept 4: Tall claims of Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department Minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari that the Government has sufficient stock of bitumen to macadamize the roads fell flat as there continues to go through a shortage of material and that too when time is running out for macadamization of roads in Kashmir.
Following the 'incompetence' and 'over confidence' of Bukhari, the State Government in its last cabinet meeting had approved for the procurement of 6500 metric tonnes (MTS) of bitumen from the open market. The cabinet decision was virtually a 'slap' on the face of R&B Minister who seems to be busy in building 'castles' when it comes to macadamizing the roads across the State.
Sources told Early Times that Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took a strong note of the 'inefficiency' of the concerned department and it was after this that the order for procurement of bitumen from open market was issued. Since then not much headway has been made with majority of the roads across the State waiting to be macadamized.
"If there was sufficient stock of bitumen with the Government then what was the necessity of procuring the bitumen from the open market. Truth of the matter is that the concerned Minister is least bothered about the macadamization of roads. Same may turn out to be a waterloo for him in the coming elections if he does not pull up his socks," said sources.
It would be in place to mention here that on August 12, Early Times had carried out a news story wherein Deputy Director, Stores Procurement Department had shot a letter to Station House Officer, Pampore asking him to register a First Information Report (FIR) following the surfacing of the revelations that there is a significant decrease in the book balance and physical balance of bitumen VG-10 at the department's store in Pampore area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district.
"As reported by Assistant Director (Civil) SPD Pampore and as physically verified by the undersigned, 'prima facie', I am of the opinion there is significant difference in the book balance and physical balance of bitumen VG-10," wrote Deputy Director, Stores Procurement Department, Pampore Kashmir in his correspondence under correspondence number DDP/Esst/2015/590-93 dated 11-08-2015.
Further in the correspondence, Deputy Director, Stores Procurement Department wrote that preliminary investigation conducted by the department revealed that there is something wrong which has resulted in the shortage of material. The official has said that an FIR be lodged in the case and thorough investigation should be conducted.
The development came after the order of Chief Engineer/Director Stores Procurement Department, Jammu & Kashmir (Jammu) under which directions were issued to the Deputy Director, Stores Procurement Department to take immediate and necessary action with regard to the 'fiasco' surrounding supply of bitumen VG-10.
The Deputy Director, Stores Procurement Department in the correspondence made the request that matter of procurement of at least 6000 MTs of bitumen in addition to the already ordered quantity be taken up with Chief Engineer/Director Stores Procurement Department, Jammu & Kashmir (Jammu) on war-footing basis.
As the time is running out for the Government to macadamize the roads in Kashmir it was decided that bitumen would be procured from the open market so that there is no embarrassment to the people at helm more so heading the Ministry. |
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