SRINAGAR, JULY 12: Despite State Administrative Council (SAC) headed by Jammu Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik approving the procurement of Dal Lake Cleaning Machines in July 2018, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) has been resorting to dilly dally tactics as according to sources it wants to give undue benefits to a private party.
LAWDA is supposed to go for global tendering in order to procure Lake Cleaning Machines that are used for deweeding purposes in world famous Dal Lake. SAC had approved Rs 28 Crores for this purpose but till date the process has been halted as the officials at the helm of affairs are reportedly keen to provide undue benefits to an outside party.
Reliable sources told Kashmir News Trust two Vice Chairmen have been removed so for as they flatly refused to award contracts to the outside party backed by some top officials. Sources added that former VC LAWDA Hafiz Shah didn’t cooperate with the outside party and instead floated global tenders. These tenders were not only cancelled but the VC was removed instantly for not falling the line.
Sources said the another young VC Prasana Ranga Swami was also keen to go for global tendering but was removed like his predecessor.
Insiders said the top officials who want to give undue benefits to outside party used their good offices to appoint a VC on temporary basis. “From past 4 months there is no attempt at all from higher authorities to clean and conserve the Dal Lake. Earlier, around 2,000 labourers were employed for a day for deweeding process, now the process is in stagnation mode,” said a LAWDA employee.
They said some top officials are keen to award contract for Lake Cleaning Machines to a private outside party without floating tenders. “Such a process will kill transparency and it will also propagate corruption. You kill competition when you don’t float global tenders,” the employees said and requested Governor and Chief Secretary to look into the matter.
They requested Governor to impress upon the LAWDA to procure deweeding machines through proper legal procedure.
The incumbent VC LAWDA Sajad Hussain told Kashmir News Trust that on the recommendations of Committee of Experts they haven’t procure Lake Cleaning Machines. “So for neither tenders have been floated nor machines have been procured and if and when happens, these machines will be procured after floating proper tenders,” he added. KNT
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