Saroori demands probe into bungling of funds

Excelsior Correspondent
Kishtwar, Aug 2: Vice-President JKPCC and MLA Inderwal Ghulam Mohammad Saroori today took the strong note of allotting road clearance (landslides) and restoration work on Batote-Thathri National Highway to various contractors by the R&B division Doda without floating tenders.
Saroori said that the Executive Engineer in close proximity with some local contractors is allotting works to them without floating tenders thereby causing heavy loss to the state exchequer. He further alleged that the damage report prepared for clearing the landslides on Batote-Thathri National Highway is meant to benefit the particular contractor and is aimed at “looting” the state which is already in poor financial condition.
“Damage report that has been prepared for clearing the slips, restoration work on Batote-Thathri National Highway is highly gruesome as the time period mentioned (in hours) is five times more than the genuine time period required to clear the same with the help of JCB”, Saroori said.
He asked the Government officials to float the tenders before allotting works to the contractors that too in accordance with norms of e-tendering.
“I have taken up the matter with Director and SSP Vigilance and have also forwarded a letter to the officer— I am pretty sure that the organisation will soon weed out the scandal”, said Saroori.
Saroori also demanded a high level probe into the mass irregularities done by the government officials and also requested the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Minister for Roads and Buildings (R&B) Syed Altaf Bukhari to personally intervene into the matter and get the erring officials booked.