lokayukta Justice (Retd)NK Mehrotra, closed the probe into charges of irregularities in the construction of new building of the Secretariat, after he reportedly found no involvement of the Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (UPRNN), RK Goel into it. Goel had already denied his involvement in the construction process of the building.
Sources said that Mehrotra closed the probe against Goel after he found that the officer was neither involved in the tender process, nor he had any role into the construction process of the new Secretariat building. After finding the above and that charges made by the complainant regarding irregularities by Goel were not maintainable, Mehrotra decided to close the investigation into the said matter and had reportedly sent a report in this regard to the chief minister on Monday.
Earlier in his reply to NK Mehrotra, the UPRNN MD, RK Goel claimed that he was not associated with construction of the new Secretariat building and that the said work has been monitored by unit No- 21(A) of the UPRNN. He also said that the same unit was monitoring fixing of Mirjapur Yellow sand stone in the new building.
Another senior officer of the UPRNN also turned up before Mehrotra and rule out irregularities claiming that the work which is said to be done before opening of the tenders, is just a RsMock-up’ exercise by the company to display the quality of work which it would do if his tender will be accepted by the Nigam. However, the officer failed to clarify that if the RsMock-up’ exercise is still continue and the decision on which quality of Mirzapur Yellow sand stone which the Department wanted to put in the new secretariat building has been yet to be finalized than how they had already get the tender pooled though they were yet to be open them. Just to clear the above move of pooling tender which pointed towards irregularities, lokayukta has sought a report from the MD of UPRNN.
It may be mentioned that social activist Dr Nutan Thakur, filed a formal complaint before Mehrotra last month in which she claimed that MD of UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam, RK Goel, had made irregularities in tender process of supply and fixing of Mirzapur Yellow Sand Stone for New Secretariat building in Darulshafa compound. The complaint said that many conditions in the tender process have been violated and irregularities have been made in the process merely to give undue favour to Ms lucknow Marble Industries and its owner Ashutosh Agrawal.
As per the complaint, changes were made in the middle of the tender process and tender forms were accepted from some firms against the prescribed directions. Dr Thakur said that the alleged firm has completed a substantial part of the assigned work even before the tender process having finalised, which established the improper connection between the Nirman Nigam and the given firm.