Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has asked the Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to take strict action against three officials of the Revenue Department of GNCTD for gross misconduct in allotment of tentage work worth Rs. 23.40 crore for Kanwar Camps in the National Capital in the year 2022.
Giving this information here on Wednesday, officials said Saxena recommended “strict action as per the relevant rules” against the then SDM (HQ), RR Singh, Section Officer, Sanjay Kumar Madan and Junior Assistant, Anurag, based on a factual report submitted by the Chief Secretary in the matter, wherein it was alleged that a scam had taken place in awarding the tentage work for Kanwar Camps by the Caretaking Branch of the Revenue Department, GNCTD.
The report underlined the gross misconduct on part of these officials as the work awarded to the bidders were modified without prior approval of the competent authority and thus causing loss to the government exchequer.
The complainant alleged that ordinary tents (shamiana) were set up @ Rs.3.45 per sq.ft, which was @Rs.2.25 in the year 2019. It was alleged that waterproof tents could be used in place of ordinary tents @ Rs.3.45 per sq.ft. Further, the Revenue Department ordered tin shade @ Rs.7.90 per sq.ft instead of pipe structured steel hanger previously used @ Rs.3.90 per sq.ft. In addition, LED par can light were ordered @ Rs.8 instead of halogen light available for a meagre Re.1 per unit.
During the inquiry, the Revenue Department informed the Department of Vigilance (DoV) that the work order for hiring of tentage and electrical items for Kanwar Yatra was, on the basis of extension, awarded to the L1 bidder, which was earlier given the contract in 2019. Kanwar Yatra was not organized in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Revenue Department, on 01.07.2022, had received a letter from the Chairman, Tirth Yatra Vikas Samiti, GNCTD, through the Minister (Law) to initiate the process for making arrangements regarding Kanwar Yatra.
The Department assessed the need for setting up 181 Kanwar camps (172 Kanwar and 09 Security Camps) across the city for which the financial implication was assessed for Rs. 23,40,15,481/-. Since the L1 bidder expressed his inability to execute the complete work alone, the work was distributed among the L2 and L3 bidders on the L1 rates.
The tentage and electric work was awarded to 03 vendors namely Guptajee Tent Services Pvt. Ltd (L1), Mahalakshmi Light House (L2) and Ahuja Tents & Decorators (L3).
The Revenue Department stated that prior approval was not taken by the Caretaking Branch to include new items in the work order and they were presumably inserted in the final document by these 03 officers, who signed and certified the work order.
The DoV in its report observed that additional items like tin shade, side walls, LED lights, etc. were added in the work orders without approval of the competent authority, which amounted to gross misconduct. Accordingly, major penalty proceedings were recommended against the 03 officials.