Three officials booked for executing sub-standard works under PMGSY in Doda

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case against three government officials and a contractor for allegedly executing sub-standard works under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said.

An FIR under various sections of prevention of corruption act and Ranbir Penal Code was registered against the officials of PMGSY division Thathri and the contractor on the basis of joint surprise check conducted into the allegations that sub-standard material was used for the construction of 4.5 km of road from Barry to Gandoh, a spokesman of the ACB said Sunday.

He said the case was registered against Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) Akhter Hussain Shah, Junior Engineers irshad Ahmad and Sonu Sharma, and director,Messrs Cube Construction Engineering Limited,Sanjay C Shah.

The joint surprise check revealed that the construction work on 4.5 km of road was allotted for an amount of Rs 242.42 lakh by the contract committee in favour of a Jammu-based Cube Construction.

During probe, it was found that boulders instead of cement-concrete mix was found used in the concrete work, the spokesman said.

The officials posted at PMGSY division, Thathri, in sheer abuse of their official position and in connivance with the contractor have allowed use of boulders in the execution of the work, for conferring undue pecuniary benefit upon the contractor in brazen violation of bill of quantities and rate contract, which has rendered the whole work executed sub-standard, the spokesman said.

He said a net payment of Rs 29,67,531 after deducting applicable taxes stand released for plain cement concrete work in favour of the contractor, which is contrary to the facts on ground and a loss to the state exchequer.