Indian Express 14.11.2009
Mohali councillor alleges scam in MC sanitation contract, seeks Vigilance probe
The contract for undertaking sanitation work in Mohali for the year 2008-09 has come under the scanner as even several months after the expiry of the previous year’s contract, no new contract has been awarded yet.
Alleging a scam of at least Rs 75 lakh in the total contract amount of Rs 1.5 crore, several elected municipal councillors of the Opposition group in the Mohali Municipal Council (MC) have sought a probe by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau and immediate dissolution of the present civic body for ensuring a free and fair inquiry.
Councillor Kuljit Singh Bedi, who is also a local Congress leader, has accused MC president Rajinder Singh Rana and officials concerned of being hand in glove with the contractor, causing huge losses to the MC besides leaving the sanitation condition deplorable in the city.
On the basis of information procured under the Right to Information Act, Bedi has pointed out various discrepancies and violations of terms and conditions laid down in the contract agreement by the contractor
Bedi further alleged that the MC president and executive officer, who were authorised to impose a penalty on the contractor, let him off with imposing minor fines as a mere eyewash exercise.
The councillor rued that the agreement provides deduction of 20 per cent of the contract amount in case of unsatisfactory work, but despite the hue and cry raised by councillors in every MC House meet over unsanitary conditions in the city, no such deduction was ever made. “Unsanitary conditions are evident from the fact that Deputy Commissioner Prabhjot Mand had to launch a special cleanliness drive,” Bedi argued.
It was also pointed out that the contractor had also failed on several other terms and conditions like opening of complaint centres equipped with telephone facility, workers wearing uniform and identity cards besides no burning of garbage, but MC authorities never took note of such violations.
“A similar nexus may have also taken place in previous contracts and the VB probe should go through the entire record to bring the guilty officials to book,” demanded Bedi, while seeking appointment of an honest official as Administrator of Mohali MC for ensuring provision of basic civic amenities.
Councillors Gian Chand Aggarwal, Rajinder Prasad Sharma and Prakash Wati have also openly supported Bedi on the issue while MC president Rajinder Singh Rana has denied allegations claiming “all is well” with sanitation work in the city.
