Close on the heels of detecting large scale irregularities in purchase of solar lights by chairperson of Nagar Palika Parishad in Hardoi, Malti Raman Gupta, state ombudsman, went ahead with registration of case against yet another chairperson of Nagar Palika Parishad in Gonda, Anju Singh, when more serious charges leveled against her turned out to be prima facie true.
lokayukat, Justice (retd)NK Mehrotra when contacted on Thursday confirmed of registering a case in the above matter after finding the charges against Anju Singh prima-facie true. He said that Singh along with executive officer of the Parishad, Om Prakash Gupta, have been served notice in the matter and they were given time till November 3 to file their replies after which necessary legal proceedings would be made in the matter.
Reports said that the chairperson of the Nagar Palika Parishad in Gonda, Anju Singh, had purchased 185 solar lights in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 financial-years at the rate of Rs 1,20,600 per light. However, a complaint in this regard has been made with the state ombudsman by a local resident in which he charged that huge bungling was made in the purchase just to make money out of it. Sources said that Mehrotra after finding that large scale irregularities has been made in the purchase, he summoned the secretary of the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development (UPNEDA), which is the nodal agency of the Government for the said purpose.
NEDA official confirmed that in 2013-14, the price of the said solar lights and that too of the same Bajaj Company, was Rs 19,800 while the price in 2014-15 has been fixed at Rs 21400. Sources said that Mehrotra after learning that solar light of same make is available on such economical rate but still the same has been purchased in at least 600 percent more than the prescribe rates, he immediately get a case registered against Anju Singh and other officials of the Palika Parishad to initiate necessary legal proceedings in the matter on Thursday. He found the charges prime facie true and that just by openly violation laid norms, the Nagar Palika Parishad officials has incurred a loss of Rs 1 lakh per solar light.
It may be mentioned that in Hardoi, the chairperson purchased 100 solar lights for which she paid Rs 69,000 for each light against the UPNEDA’s prescribed rate of Rs 19000 per light for that year. It may be mentioned that the state government had directed to make purchases preferably through nodal agencies but still the same was purchased from open market.