Now, Vidhan Sabha panel smells a road scam

Indian Express 17.12.2009

Now, Vidhan Sabha panel smells a road scam

People

Members of the Vidhan Sabha committee at the meeting at the Circuit House

After the fake bill scam, it seems that poor road quality scam is also going to rock the the Municipal Corporation soon. The reason is obvious: on the second day of Vidhan Sabha committee’s meeting, the Municipal Corporation and other local bodies department officers were grilled. The committee members checked the road quality of Tajpur road, Barewal road and few other areas and found gross anomalies.

The fuming members have sought record of the past three years of road construction from MC. The records will have to be given by January 31 and the Vidhan Sabha committee will come with its report by February end. “The guilty will not be spared. Many officers are likely to be indicted in this poor roads quality scam,” the members told Newsline.

The committee members did not deny that they had received complaints of many other roads as well which had broken just after 2-6 months of metalling. “This will expose scam worth crores, but let the records come before us first. Today was only an oral discussion,” said a member of the committee.

Apart from this, they even checked the pollution level in Buddha Nallah also. However they mentioned that after the installation of common effluent treatment plants, this problem would be solved to a great extent. The authorities have sought details of plantation drive in the city as well. Because they even smelled a rat in the purchase of plants and actual plantation. “Green cover in the city is not adequate, so records have been sought,” said the members.

Apart from this, details of the encroachments in the city, the cases pending in High Court etc have also been sought.

Virsa Singh Valtoha along with other MLAs was present in the meeting, which was attended by the MC commissioner A.K Sinha, Mayor Hakam Singh Giaspura and many other officials of corporation, sewerage board, pollution board and a few other departments.

Panel admits grey areas

The committee members also admitted that they were not working up to the mark and hence were not able to tighten the noose around various departments. The members stated that regular interaction with the departments and their monitoring was a must to check the loopholes.