Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Jan, 25
Pradesh Youth Congress J&K unit lambasted the previous BJP regime for its failure to control the corrupt practices in the State.
Briefing media persons here, Uday Chib, President J&K unit, said that the aborted rule witnessed a deep rooted culture of patronized corruption in the State with none to take cognizance of the public cries and frequent reports in the media of wanton irregularities and bungling in the working of the government. He said that most alarming aspect was not the money exchanging hands in the unwholesome bargains but the open defiance of norms and procedures, fearlessness and audacity displayed by corrupt elements in executing such illegal bargains.
Chib said that there is huge corruption found in the Jammu Municipal Corporation wherein the works have been allotted in violation of tendering norms. He mentioned that few years ago JMC awarded a contract to a non-J&K private firm regarding the allotment of hoarding space for the display of advertisements in the city. “After few months, JMC allotted another contract to the same firm regarding the construction of bus shelters in the city with specific terms and conditions for a period of 25 years. Soon after the allotment of work, the terms and conditions of tender regarding bus shelters have been changed with a view to benefit a particular firm,” Chib said.
He emphasized that the allotment of work order to a single firm for a period of 25 years has raised a question mark on the functioning of Jammu Municipal Corporation authorities. He further said that in blatant violation of norms, the Jammu Municipal Corporation has changed the norms without issued an advertisement in the local dailies which is mandatory for the government offices. “This shows that the Jammu Municipal Corporation is working in sheer violation of norms, favoring blue-eyed persons by allotting such big projects. The allotment of contract to a blue-eyed firm under the regime of BJP had ignored the rights of others besides larger competition in the field,” Chib said. Chib said that the Jammu Municipal Corporation has received funds to the tune of thousands of crores annually from the Centre for the development of Jammu city but such violations has put a question mark on the authorities who are sitting at the helm of affairs.
Chib appealed to the Governor Satya Pal Malik to probe the whole matter that how the norms have been changed without releasing a notification in the local dailies to give benefit to a particular firm. He asked the Governor to immediately take stern action against the officers involved in the corrupt practices and the aforesaid firm should be blacklisted immediately.
Those who were present in the press conference includes Ajaz Chaudhary ,Vishal Chopra, Amit Seyal all pyc leaders.
