Chief Minister freezes the administrative as well as financial powers of the chairman of the Nagar Palika Parishad of Pratapgarh, Hari Pratap Singh, after State Ombudsman pointed large scale irregularities in purchase of High Mast light in Paratapgarh and held the chairman primarily responsible for irregularities.
The scam resulted into loss of several lakh rupees to state exchequer so lokayukta Justice (Retd) NK Mehrorta, had asked the State Government to conduct a high level investigation into the matter after registering case against Hari Pratap Singh and others whose name came up during enquiry. He also recommended action against the chairman.
Sources said that Mehrorta during probe of a complaint filed with him regarding irregularities made in purchase of High Mast light in Pratapgarh, found some sensational fact which pointed that just in one purchase, a loss running into several lakhs of rupees has been caused to state exchequer just as the lights were shown purchased at very high prices. Reports said that Mehrorta found that Singh, had purchased 25 high mast light of Philips Company (12.5 meter high) out of which 24 were installed but one was lying unutilised just due to lack of proper space. Mehrorta through documents learnt that the purchase was shown at Rs 3.95 lakh per light. However, Mehrorta was reportedly shocked when to verify the prices, he summoned the records of Rajkiya Nirman Nigam, which pointed that the scheduled rate of the above high mast light of Philips Company is Rs 2.79 lakh and not as shown by the Parishad’s officials in Pratapgarh. Interestingly the purchase of the light was shown through one Friends Electrical of lucknow.
Sources said that after the above findings, Mehrotra directly summoned price of the above lights from the Philips Company and was further surprised when they quoted the above price and not Rs 3.95 lakh per light as the record of Nagar Palika Parishad of Pratapgarh pointed. When the state ombudsman summoned the company officials, they claimed that the price was not quoted by them but it was send by the Friends Electricals using their company letter heads.
Reports said that after finding that more than Rs 1 lakh in excess has been paid to purchase the above High Mast light which directly effects a huge loss to state exchequer, so he sent a letter to chief secretary, Alok Ranjan, directing him to constitute a high level probe against Singh and other officials of the Nagar Palika Parishad who were involved in the purchase process and to initiate criminal proceedings against them after collecting more evidences in the matter. He also asked chief minister to take appropriate action following which, Akhilesh Yadav reportedly freezes administrative as well as financial power of Singh till completion of the probe.