news details |
|
|
| Construct only 4 floors against prescribed 5; draw payment for full | | 'Corrupt' officials eat away 1-storey in hospital construction | | Early Times Report
srinagar, Sept 30: Taking corruption to new heights, the officials of Housing and Health departments have literally eaten away construction of one full storey of a new 50-bedded hospital here, by constructing only four floors instead of prescribed five but drawing payment for full.
In a first of its kind, the officials involved in the `multi-crore scam', have constructed the 50-bedded hospital at Chana Pora here in brazen violation of the prescribed norms whereby the building has been left smaller than the scheduled size.
Official documents, a copy of which lies with Early Times reveals that in a bid to encourage vertical expansion of Srinagar through construction of multi-storeyed buildings, the state government had passed the project for construction of five-floors in RCC structure.
Documents reveal the project was handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board's Division II while the Directorate of Health was supposed to monitor construction for any deviation in the specialized building plan.
A junior level engineer having worked on the project told Early Times that in a bid to make the structure withstand any natural calamities like earthquake, crores of rupees were spent on the foundation to make it strong for five floors. It was supposed to be first such a tall hospital in south City, while each floor was scheduled to be 705.00 Sq meters.
This way the full structure was to be 3531 sq meters in area in aggregate. "But the fully constructed building after laying of rooftop turned out to be only 3,000 Sq meters thereby making the facility short of space as required to run the hospital," said a senior official in the Secretariat in know of the matter.
Sources said the mischief was played by the concerned Executive Engineer of the housing board who has been accused of grabbing millions in league with officials of Health department who were otherwise supposed to keep track of developments.
"Commissioner Secretary Health should have ensured that amount released for 50 bedded hospital has properly been utilized as per the approved plan, but he and the director health both remained silent, while Executive Engineer silently executed the nefarious designs and resorted to Bander Baanth," said a senior official.
Sources said earlier this year when the scam came to fore protests were staged against the Housing Board, while the accused engineer, believed to be wielding political influence, was attached.
After a month, however, the engineer managed getting transferred back. This time, sources said, a team of officials called on Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, who is also the Housing Minister, complaining about Executive Engineer's scam. The accused was again attached. However, after around a month he managed getting transferred again to the Div II and has been calling the shots since.
Sources said the engineer was brought back to the project as his successors denied to work on the structure to complete interior works and demanded a Vigilance probe as to how come the building was small.
Despite repeated attempts the concerned Executive Engineer didn't respond to phone calls. When contacted a senior official in the Housing Board downplayed the matter. "There's no issue of corruption. Actually the Xen forgot to construct the fifth floor, as he was over busy and we have resolved the matter with the Health Department so why you want to make mountain out of molehill?" the official said. (To be continued) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
