The Public works Department (PWD) has suspended four engineers of the department after a probe revealed gross irregularities in the construction of phase V of Udamanda-Raunta motor road under Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), Pokhri in Chamoli district.
Ms Sanjay Construction Company, Jollygrant was given the contract of Rs697.92 lakhs to construct the 25 km road. The preliminary investigation showed that the payment for 250 parapets was cleared for the company but a physical inspection revealed that not even a single parapet was constructed.
Similarly, a payment for 91 running meter of road was given by the engineers concerned, but only 91 running meter was found constructed on the spot. The inquiry also found irregularities in the quality of construction. The inquiry showed that the contractor was given an excess payment of Rs2,69,891 by the department.
Taking a strong exception on these irregularities, the department suspended the then Executive Engineer, construction wing, PWD, Pokhari (additional charge E E PMGSY- II Karanprayag) Narendra Singh, then Assistant Engineer Construction wing, PWD Pokhari (additional charge EE National Highway, Badkot) Balram Mishra, then A E, PWD, PWD, construction wing, PWD Pokhari (additional charge E E ADB, Disaster Chamoli) Naveen lal Verma and Additional assistant Engineer (additional charge A E Construction wing Roorkee) Rajkumar.