The beneficiaries of Malkangiri district have alleged misappropriation in the supply of working tools, mason kit, carpenter kit, painter kit and safety kit alleging that the kit made for distribution is of low quality and substandard and threatened to go for stir if soon the culprits behind the scam were not arrested.
As per reports, the kits were distributed among the beneficiaries in seven blocks of Malkangiri such as Malkangiri, Mathili, Khairput, Chitrakonda, Korkunda, Kalimela and Podia blocks.
Govid Khora of Mathili block said the kits are of very low standard and cheap quality. Everything in the kit distributed to us by the administration is of no use. The kit which may be costing nearly Rs 1,000 to Rs1,500 is said to be costing Rs 5,000 each. Khora demanded an inquiry into the scam.
According to sources the administration has distributed working tools among the labourers. The tender which was earlier published in the website of Malkangiri district portal has a lot of irregularities and the administration has also violated certain rules and regulations in awarding the tender to a particular vendor.
Earlier in a notification by the Labour Commissioner, it was strictly directed to all the district labour officers (DLOs) to procure the supply items from reputed wholesaler/ distributor at district level.
But this was violated. The bidders were also asked to purchase the ISO mark products but not a single product is of the ISO mark.
The beneficiaries also alleged as there is election and fearing the code of conduct the administration has distributed the items to the beneficiaries in a hurry clearly compromising with their quality.