People and contractors demand probe and action against the defaulter bidders for non-payment of bid amount
I&FC department fails to recovered more than Crore payment, issues ‘final notice’ to defaulter contractors asking them to do the “needful”
SNS Kashmir
Baramulla: Inflicting huge loss to government exchequer, officials of Irrigation and Flood Control (Jal Shakhti) Division Baramulla has failed to recover balance payment from bidders who lifted large quantity of dredged out material from various auctioned dykes along banks of river Jehlum from Delina to Janbazpora in Baramulla district.
Sources in the department while divulging the details of the multi-crore scam said that I&FC- Jal Shakhti Division Baramulla dredged out huge quantity of material from river Jehulm and dumped it in various dykes on the banks of river Jehlum from Delina to Janbazpora in Baramulla.
“The department issued tenders and bids to auction the dykes of the dredged out mining material including sand and gravel. After auction, the successful bidders had to deposit full amount of bid but most of the bidders have deposited 25 percent to 30 percent of bid amount and got authority for lifting the dredged out material from concern official,” they said.
Ironically, the contractors cum bidders have lifted full quantity of auctioned material and when department I&FC Baramulla division asked them to deposit the balanced amount, the bidders refused to deposit the balance amount with the plea that there was very little material available in the Dykes which they were supposed to check prior to participating in the auction.
“It is open loot to government exchequer because while participating in the auction process, the material quantity was declared in the tenders and bids notices. The bidders were supposed to see bid notice and check quantity of material shown in the bid notice before participating in auction. However, after lifting all the material, then refusing to pay the balance amount is completely fraud with government,” said sources in the department.
“Dyke “B” at Darpora Delina was auctioned for Rs 80 lakh but the bidder has paid only 35 lakh to the department keeping Rs 45 lakh balance so far. While as Dyke at Janbazpora was auctioned for Rs 67 but only Rs 25 Lakh has been paid by the bidder who lifted entire material from the dyke,” sources said.
People from cross section of society and contractors of I&FC department has demanded swift investigation and probe into non-payment of the dredged out material lifted by the by the bidders from Dykes of Irrigation and Flood Control (Jal Shakhti) Division Baramulla resulting into huge loss to state exchequer.
“The department of I&FC owe contractors Rs 1.cr payment which is liability for already works done from last three years but department is unable make payment to contractors due to paucity of funds, however, if the payment would have recovered the amount of dredged out material from the few bidders which is more than 1.00.Cr amount department could have easily paid the liability payment,” said President Irrigation and Flood Control Contractors Association Baramulla.
“We demand LG administration and District Administration for necessary investigation into the sand loot in dykes so that government exchequer won’t suffer loss in crores ,” he said.
Interestingly, Executive Engineer I&FC Baramulla issues a notice bearing No: IFCDB/1120-23 dated 28/05/2022 what they call ‘Final Notice to” a contractor for non-payment but in the notice the department asks the contractor to do the ‘needful’ which indicates that the officials are hand in glove with the sand looters.
The notice copy of which lies with SNS Kashmir reads, “ In continuation to above referred communication, besides the series of reminders given to you from this end, you are finally asked to do the needful within 07 days, failing which action under rules as mentioned previously shall be initiated.”
“ It may be noted that this office will not hesitate to recover the amount in question from your claims for the contracts allotted to you in this Division. Also, action as per relevant and applicable laws shall be initiated against you to recover the pending amount,” the notice reads.
When contacted Executive Engineer I&FC Baramulla Javid Ahmad for department action against the defaulter bidders who have swindled huge amount of the government after lifting the dredged out material from the dykes, he said, “ We have issue notices to the defaulter bidders for keeping their balance amount pending. We will take legal action if they failed to pay the amount mentioned the bid notices for dredged out material lifted from dykes.”