Jammu, Feb 24: Minister for Roads and Buildings department, Ghulam Muhammad Saroori, came under opposition attack for alleged irregularities in the department including 296 pre-mature transfers and 1589 works executed without inviting tenders during the past one year.
 Reply to a question by JKNPP MLA Harsh Dev Singh in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, the minister said the department has executed at least 1589 works in Jammu region without inviting tenders “on emergency basis and that too as per delegation in Book of Financial Powers.”
 As per the written information provided by the minister, the highest number of such works have been executed in Udhampur district (536) followed by Kathua district (305). The minister said that the works were being executed only where there were urgent need and situation so demanded.
 In reply to another question, the minister said that the department has effected at least 296 premature transfers from January 1, 2009, till date. These include 153 Junior Engineers, 74 Assistant Executive Engineers, 56 Executive Engineers, 3 Superintendent Engineers and 1 Chief Engineer in civil wing, while 2 SEs, 16 XENs, 14 AEEs, 4 AEs and 3 Junior Engineers have been transferred in mechanical wing of the department.
 The minister said that the department was working overnight to provide road connectivity to the far flung areas of the state. “We have been executing works without inviting tenders to meet our budget dead line but we never compromised with the rules and regulations”, he said adding, “If the members want that no work shall be executed without inviting tenders I will ensure the procedure but it will only lead to losses and delays.”
 However, the NPP MLA Harsh Dev Singh said that the procedures were not being followed for some unknown reasons and huge amount of money has been spent on the works executed without inviting tenders.
 Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather had assured zero tolerance with regard to the financial indiscipline, he said adding, however from the statement of the minister it seems, “Saroori Sahib Rather Sahib Ka Department Band Karwa Ke Rahain Gay (Mr Saroori will ensure the closure of Mr Rather’s department).”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST