Payment of 30 crore ru- pees had been made to the contractor despite the direction of the chief engineer to stop the payments to the said contractor. Such an action not only resulted in the irreg- ular payment of rupees 30.28 crore rupees from the exchequer but also vindicated how the standing directions of the chief engineer were out- rightly ignored. Morethan 140 road projects to the ‘ineligible’ contractors in the PMGSY worth rupees 578.22 crores were al- lotted in the past by the issue continues to remain under the carpet with the action over it apparently becoming a distant dream even after the change of guard.
As per the SBD, necessary qualification of a contractor had not been followed by the department while awarding contracts of road projects with sanctioned cost of 380 crore rupees to the 26 contractors at a cost of 347.67 crore rupees during the year 2007-08 and 2011-12 by the chief engineer PMGSY Kashmir as well as Jammu. Reports informed that the contractors had no experience of construction of road projects and had also not fulfilled the basic condi- tions prescribed in the SBD. Documents reveal that the con- tracts of the road projects had been allotted to hot mix plant holders, traders and others who had no experience in construction of roads. Furthermore, the work for the construction of 47 road projects had been awarded to seven contractors at a cost of 230.55 crore rupees during the period from 209-10 and 2011- 2012 after accepting the documents from the bidders not of their own but of other entities which had nomenclature similar to the contractor bidding for the contracts and which include the certificates of turnover and experience of other existing entities.
Ironically, the work was not completed within the stipulated time frame due to the inadequate machinery and engineering staff at a site of the work.
Though the commissioner sec- retary R&B at that time had initiated an enquiry over the issue but so far the status of the probe has not been made public. There are reports that with- in the PMGSY, 42 road projects were awarded to three contractors at cost of 249.93 crore rupees during the year 2007 to 2008 and 2011 to 2012. The work had to be completed with- in the period of 12 months from the date of allotment.Ironically, the work was not completed within the stipulated time frame due to the inadequate machin- ery and engineering staff at a site of the work.
Also during the year 2008- 09 and 2011 to 2012, 24 road projects were allotted to the contractors but later aborted due to the dispute. Sur- prisingly, a whooping cost of 44.78 crore rupees was incurred till the contract was aborted by the PMGSY. There were also reports that the pay- ment of 30 crore rupees had been made to the contractor despite the direction of the chief engineer to stop the payments to the said contractor. Such an action not only resulted in the irregular payment of rupees 30.28 crore rupees from the exchequer but also vindicated how the standing directions of the chief engineer were outrightly ignored. Though the audit conducted in the year 2013 termed the actions in no way justifiable but the issue has so far remained unat- tended and shelved till date.
