L-G gives assent to lodge case against two PWD engineers under anti-corruption law
New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has given his assent for lodging a case under the anti-corruption law against an assistant engineer and junior engineer of the public works department in an alleged scam related to a road construction project in 2014-15, Raj Niwas officials said on Tuesday.
The approval was given despite the fact that the administrative department, PWD, had not recommended an inquiry against the duo.
According to an official, Saxena has given his nod for lodging a case under section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against the assistant engineer and junior engineer, despite the fact that the PWD had not recommended an inquiry against them.
In the case of the accused executive engineer, a decision will be taken by the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA) since he is a Group ‘A’ officer, the official said.
In according the approval, the L-G has gone by the findings of the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) and recommendation of the Directorate of Vigilance, he added. Saxena has also ordered action against the PWD officers who tried to shield the accused engineers.
The allegation against the two accused is that they released payment to a contractor without proper verification of the work done in the road construction project in south Delhi.
The L-G noted that on a perusal of the facts and records of the case, he is of the considered view that it is in the interest of justice to investigate the allegations after lodging a case.
The allegations are based on a complaint dated May 19, 2017 filed by Rahul Sharma, founder of NGO Roads Anti-Corruption Organisation that payments were made even as no work was done at the site of “strengthening of road and improvement of footpath, drainage system, central verge of EPDP Road (Malik Ram Issar Marg, New Delhi)” in the Kalkaji area, thereby causing loss to the government exchequer.
After conducting a preliminary enquiry, the ACB has registered a complaint against three PWD engineers.
The contract for the work of more than Rs 6.33 crore, 18.79 per cent below the estimated cost of Rs. 7.8 crore, was awarded to a construction company. According to the PWD’s material inward register, the material was procured and received from various firms and the contractor submitted the invoices of the major material — bitumen — but the invoices of the other materials used in the construction were not submitted by him.
The 18 invoices provided by the PWD on account of buying bitumen were found to be fake. Subsequently, the trade and taxes department also imposed a penalty on the firm for filing a misleading return of the purchases made by it.
