Srinagar, Mar 27: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Wednesday registered a case against officials of Municipal Committee Thanamandi officials and others in a streetlight scam.
A statement of the ACB issued here said that it registered a case FIR No 01/2024 at Police Station ACB Rajouri under Section 5(1)(c) )(d) read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt 2006 and Section 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) against Shakeel Ahmed Mir, the then President of Municipal Committee Thanamandi, Mushtaq Ahmad, the then Executive Officer, and Riyaz Ahmed, the then storekeeper and other officers and officials of the Municipal Committee Thanamandi as well as against proprietor of M/s Gouri Sales Agencies and others.
The statement said that the case was registered on the outcome of verification conducted by ACB into the allegations that Municipal Committee Thanamandi, Rajouri, invited tenders for installation of street lights in the limits of municipal committee vide No MC/T/19/193-97 dated March 6, 2019, worth lakhs of rupees for specific brands as well as specifications – Havells, Syska, or Philips with two years guarantee and replacement, but the concerned Executive Officer, by abuse of his official position, connived with supplier firm and accepted supply of LED bulbs of very inferior quality instead of quoted brands.
It said that during verification, it surfaced that President Municipal Committee Thanamandi Rajouri invited tender notice vide No MC/T/19/193-97 dated March 6, 2019, for the purchase of streetlights having specific brands.
The statement said that, as per the record, 100 streetlights of 60-watt, make Mos-Lites were received from M/S Gouri Sales Agencies in Municipal Committee Thanamandi instead of the prescribed brands – Syska, Havells, or Philips.
It said that this was found entered in the receipt register without mentioning of date of receipt as well as the brand.
The statement said that of the 100 streetlights, only 42 lights were identified by staff of Municipal Committee Thanamandi, whereas 58 lights could not be traced.
It said that these lights were also found purchased at exorbitant rates.
The statement said that the verification conducted revealed that Mushtaq Ahmed, then Executive Officer Municipal Committee, Thanamandi, without initiation of any tendering process issued another supply order vide No MC/T/2019/108A dated May 16, 2019, to M/S Gouri Sales Agencies for the purchase of 150 LED streetlights of 45 watts and 150 LED bulbs of 40 watts on the rates already approved by Municipal Committee Thanamandi for the year 2018-19.
It said that no such LED streetlights and LED bulbs so purchased through the supply order were found received in Municipal Committee Thanamandi.
The statement said that in this regard, no record had been found in respect of the receipt and issuance of such lights and bulbs.
“But bills against such purchases stand endorsed by Riyaz Ahmed, then storekeeper of Municipal Committee Thanamandi,” the ACB statement said. “It also surfaced that Shakeel Ahmed Mir, the then President, Mushtaq Ahmed then Executive Officer, and Riyaz Ahmed, the then storekeeper and other officers and officials of Municipal Committee Thanamandi, by abuse of their official positions and criminal conspiracy hatched among themselves as well as Proprietor of M/S Gouri Sales Agencies (supplier firm), released full payment of amount against LED streetlights and LED bulbs purported to be purchased and supplied vide tender notice No MC/T/19/193-97 dated March 6, 2019, and supply order No MC/T/2019/108A dated May 16, 2019.”
It said that by acting in this manner, these public servants and others misappropriated and embezzled government money just to confer undue pecuniary benefits to them as well as suppliers with corresponding loss to the government exchequer on account of LED streetlights purchased at exorbitant rates as well as loss on account of non-existent LED streetlights and LED bulbs which came upto Rs 5,96,870.
The statement said that these facts constitute commission of offences punishable under Section 5(1)(c)(d) read with 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt 2006 and Section 120-B of the RPC against Shakeel Ahmed Mir, Mushtaq Ahmed, Riyaz Ahmed, and other officers and officials of the Municipal Committee Thanamandi as well as Proprietor of M/s Gouri Sales Agencies and others.