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| Pipe scam surfaces in PHE deptt | | Defective pipes worth Rs 8 cr procured | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Jan 14: A massive scam has surfaced in Public Health Engineering department Kashmir where the authorities have procured defective pipes worth crores of rupees from contractors.
Official sources told Early Times that PHE department recently procured defective pipes worth Rs 8 crores from contractors for various water supply schemes.
"These defective pipes are lying in various stores of PHE department," sources said.
Sources revealed that all such orders were placed during the regime of PDP-BJP government especially for replacement of all those pipes which were destroyed in September 2014 floods.
"The galvanization of these pipes has not been found as per the relevant code; therefore these pipes will immediately spoil when laid underground," sources said.
One of the officials of the PHE said that particular length of pipes was ordered on the suppliers but the department received irregular lengths resulting huge loss to the government exchequer.
Sources said that Chief Engineer PHE Kashmir, G. A Bahat has issued discreet instructions to clear the stocks from HMT store by supplying it to various Kashmir divisions,
Sources revealed that the authorities of PHE had got commission from the contractors for purchasing of these defective pipes. "These pipes are of no use still the PHE department procured these pipes for their own benefits and a now mulling to use them for various water supply schemes," they said.
It has been learnt that these defective pipes were purchased in full knowledge of authorities. "Some officials tried to hush up the matter and didn't return back these pipes to the contractors nor they were blacklisted," a senior official said. The official said the department didn't refer the case to any investigating agency for the probe. "How can we expect impartial probe by any internal agency of the department when its officials are themselves involved in this fraud," the official said.
Chief Engineer PHE admitted that defective pipes had been received by the department. "There are some 10 to 20 percent variations. We are investigating the matter," the Chief Engineer said.
During the past one decade, the PHE has taken up thousands of water supply schemes for execution in the state. Ironically, authorities have failed to complete majority of these schemes due to non-availability of funds.
"Hundreds of schemes were started by the government over the years without knowing the source of funds. The contractors have stopped work on many of these schemes after government failed to clear their bills," an official said. It has been learnt that of the 1800 water supply schemes that were functioning in the Valley, 1300 schemes were damaged by the September 2014 floods. "Now the government has purchased these defective pipes for their restoration," an official said. In some areas, water is being supplied through water tanks while in some areas people fetch water from streams and rivers without being filtered. |
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