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| Guv seeks report on PHE pipe scam after ET report | | | ET Impact
Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Jan 30: Acting on an Early Times report regarding a scam in Public Health Engineering department Kashmir involving purchase of defective pipes, Governor N. N Vohra has sought immediate report from the authorities of Public Health Engineering Department.
Official sources informed Early Times that soon after the report about the purchase of defective pipes was published; the Governor took a serious note over the matter and asked Chief Secretary B R Sharma to direct PHE authorities for immediate report.
"The Chief Secretary directed Commissioner Secretary PHE to ask the Chief Engineer Kashmir for the submission of detailed report about the purchase of pipes in his office," sources informed.
Officials of the PHE Kashmir confirmed that the report was sought by the Chief Secretary. "It is true that the report about the purchase of the pipes was sought by the government. We have submitted the report to the government," one of the officials of the PHE said.
The Early Times was first in reporting the scam of the GI pipes which was received by Chief Engineer PHE Kashmir and were found to be below standard with respect to galvanization and irregular lengths.
The sad material was not found as per the relevant BIS standards. 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 Executive Engineer Procurement wing of the PHE Kashmir accepted that the Governor has sought the report in this regard.
"We have received some defective pipes. We have ordered pipes worth Rs 8 crores and out of this we have received around 10 to 15 per cent.
The dispatch was cleared by the laboratory at the factory premises and the matter has also been referred to the concerned laboratory as to how the defective material has been cleared for dispatch," the Executive Engineer told ET on phone.
The Chief Engineer PHE has said that part of the material which was found defective has been returned to the contractor. Sources informed that had the ET not brought the news in this regard, the PHE would have used this defective material and the contractor would have taken undue benefit by putting huge burden on the state exchequer.
The Executive Engineer added that no penalty has been so far imposed on the contractor and the order has also not been short closed.
Sources said that the said supply order is still under compliance and the supplying contractor is preparing for dispatch of balanced material. "Contractor was also given the supply order for the same item in the past and the fate of quality of material needs again to be checked," a source said.
It is pertinent to mention here that a massive scam has surfaced in Public Health Engineering department Kashmir where the authorities have procured defective pipes.
According to the officials the galvanization of these pipes has not been found as per the relevant code; therefore these pipes will immediately spoil when laid underground.
When ET contacted the supplier A.S.T Pipes Private Limited Gaziabad, they said that all the pipes have been lifted back to Ghaziabad. "We have lifted back the entire lot and the report has been furnished to the Governor. There is nothing pending in the stores of PHE," Akhil Aggarwal said. |
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