Spreading out its net over senior officers of the PHE Department alleged to be involved in unfair activity, Vigilance Organization Kashmir (VOK) has registered cases against several Engineers including two Chief Engineers in multi-crore scam of purchasing sub-standard alumina ferric. Preliminary enquiry has revealed that during the period 2008-09, the PHE Department purchased huge quantity of alumina ferric to the tune of 2500 metric tons out of which 342.695 metric tons were found substandard after these were got tested in the laboratory. Although the contractor was asked to lift the substandard material and replace it by standard material, this never happened and the authorities at the PHE compromised the matter. Preliminary report also says that the purchase committee in connivance with the supplier has purchased 2157.305 metric tons of alum on exorbitant rates amounting to Rs. 93.33 lakh. Actually the report speaks of three transactions of purchase of alumina from a local firm of Khrew in Kashmir with details of the losses to which the State exchequer has been put on three counts of substandard material, exorbitance and tax added rates amounting in total Rs.1.56 crore.
Hopefully the Vigilance Organization will formally submit the case for the action of the law enforcing authorities. The State Government is making loud claims of eradicating corruption and bribery from the administration. This will be a litmus test for the Government whether it really means to take action against senior officers against whom cases of graft are established. We shall closely monitor the process and report to the public how the Government is handling this case of blatant corruption.
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