Saturday, May 8, 2010

Fazilka MC opens tenders despite ongoing probe

Chander Parkash/TNS

Fazilka, May 7
The local municipal council (MC) authorities today opened tenders of bids made by different civil works contractors to execute the development works, here today despite the fact that an inquiry was being conducted into the allegations that a section of development works, for which the tenders were opened today, had already been executed by certain 'favourite' contractors.

A formal complaint was lodged against local MC authorities by one Mahesh Gupta that MC authorities had invited tenders of certain development works on February 11 this year which had already been executed.

The tenders were opened in the presence of senior civil officials.

Jaskiran Singh, deputy director, local bodies, Ferozepur, who has been conducting the inquiry into the case on the orders of principal secretary, local bodies, Punjab, C. Roul, when contacted, said that tenders would be cancelled if it was found that those works, for which the tenders were opened today, had already been executed.

He added that he had sent a two-member team comprising the SDO and JE of Jalalabad MC to make on the spot verification of those points where certain development works were said to have been executed by certain contractor before the tenders for the same works were invited by the MC authorities. He said that the record of MC pertaining to the execution of development works had been taken into custoday.

Anil Sethi, president, MC, said that development of the town could not be halted on the pretext that an inquiry was going on to probe the allegations. He added that action would be taken against those contractors, who were found guilty of indulging in such malpractices.

A section of citizens, SAD (B) leaders and former vice-chairman of MC, Satinder Singh Savi were demanding that the opening of tenders must have been cancelled.

Savi said that how two officials of Jalalabad MC sent for an on the spot verification of those works, which were said to have been executed without inviting tenders, could do justice to their job when they were subordinate to Tilak Raj Verma, Executive Officer (EO), local MC, who was involved in the opening of tenders today and was also holding additional charge of Jalalabad MC.

Meanwhile, Sethi claimed that MC authorities made an achievement today by generating revenue of Rs 61 lakhs from the auction of its 245 acres of land on lease for one year for agricultural purposes. 

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