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case 1 ->
Gohil alleges Rs 500-crore scam in boribund work, demands CBI probe
Express News Service
Tags : boribund work scam, ahmedabad
Posted: Saturday , Nov 14, 2009 at 0258 hrs
Ahmedabad:
The Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Shaktisinh Gohil,
has demanded a CBI inquiry into what he calls "boribund scam" by the
state government to the tune of Rs 500 crore. Gohil has also called
for a White Paper on the location of 2.65 lakh boribunds (temporary
check dams) built since 2006 when the scheme was first launched.
Speaking to media persons at the Circuit House Annexe on Friday, Gohil
said he will write to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of
India for a probe into the alleged misappropriation of the public
money received as assistance from the Centre for rural asset creation
programme under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
He said Narendra Modi must hand over the investigation to the CBI if
he is honest. "The CBI is an independent investigative agency. Modi
should have no hesitation in handing over the probe to the federal
agency," he said. Gohil's allegations are based on RTI information
about boribund work in Bhadada village of Sami taluka in Patan
district. He circulated copies of the RTI document containing NREGS
muster roll of the village with the names of the labourers having
worked on the project. Several labourers whose names appear on the
muster roll subsequently have submitted affidavits to the government
claiming that no boribund was built in the village and they never
worked on the project, he said. While the muster roll carried thumb
impressions of these workers, the latter have submitted affidavits
saying they always put their signatures.
Gohil also produced a bill for purchase of empty jute sacks purchased
by the government for boribunds from M/S Thakkar Amratlal Hargovandas
at Harij Market Yard. He said that inquiries by the Sales Tax
department revealed that it was a non-existing shop. Based on these
documents, he said the entire project under NREGS was a fraud and
money spent on it had been embezzled by the people from the highest to
the lowest level in the government. Asked if his allegations were
meant for the CM also, he said, "Being executive head, CM is
responsible for everything."
According to Gohil, the minimum expenditure incurred on the smallest
boribund was Rs 10,000 and the maximum was Rs 85,000. "So, if it is
assumed that an average of Rs 20,000 was spent on each boribund, the
total amount will come to more than Rs 500 crore," he said.
Allegations politically motivated: Vyas
Minister of State for Health and government spokesperson Jay Narayan
Vyas said the allegations were "politically motivated and totally
false". He demanded a public apology from Gohil for "misguiding the
public''. He said 2,65,678 boribunds had been constructed at a total
cost of Rs 109 crore, adding that the documents produced by Gohil
pertained to works in Patan district in 2007, when the scheme had not
come under NREGA.
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case 2->
Mohali councillor alleges scam in MC sanitation contract, seeks Vigilance probe
Express News Service
Tags : MC sanitation contract, chandigarh
Posted: Saturday , Nov 14, 2009 at 0323 hrs
Mohali:
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.
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