Contracts given to non-tender firm in pipe scam case: JK panel

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir government probe panel has found gross irregularities in the procurement of pipes worth crores of rupees by the Public Health Engineering department claiming that purchases have been made without proper tenders.

"The purchases have been approved by the Purchase committee (of PHE department) from the agency which has not even participated in the Notice Inviting tenders (NIT)", the high-level three-member probe panel has said in its report submitted to the state government.

It has been found in the probe that the purchase of composite pipes was approved at prevailing rates from a firm, which had not even participated in the tendering process. That, the report points out, is in violation of vigilance commission norms.

The probe had been ordered by PHE minister Sham Lal Sharma on the floor of the Legislative Council after the issue of massive irregularities in the department came up during the just concluded budget session of the Assembly.

The inquiry panel was to look into alleged irregularities in the procurement of Polyethylene Aluminium Polyethylene pipes worth crores of rupees by the PHE (mechanical) Procurement Division, Jammu/Srinagar.