By: Sameer Lone
Srinagar: Days after a “Street Light Scam” reported by this newspaper came to the fore in southern Pulwama district, the Directorate of Rural Development today constituted a committee that is led by Joint Director Headquarters. With this the formal probe into the shadowy purchase has begun.
Official sources confirmed to Precious Kashmir that Joint Director administration Rifat Aftab has been appointed as the Inquiry Officer to probe the matter.
The Inquiry officer is supposed to submit the report in 21-days, sources confirmed.
The Inquiry Committee has been constituted into the matter after the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir taking cognisance of the news report sought a detailed report from the Rural Development Department into what is called the “Pulwama Street Lights Purchase Scam”.
Despite repeated attempts, the Director Rural Development Tariq Ahmad Zargar didn’t answer the phone calls to comment about the matter.
However, when contacted the Joint Director Rifat Aftab said she wasn’t authorised to tell anything.
“I am really sorry… I can’t reveal any official information. The government laws don’t permit me to reveal any information with media,” she told Precious Kashmir.
She said she was not supposed to reveal any information. “I won’t be able to say anything right now,” said the Joint Director (administration) of Rural Development Department.
Earlier, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole had told Precious Kashmir that he has directed the Director Rural Development Kashmir to investigate the matter and submit a report within a stipulated time.
“Once the report is submitted, we will examine it and take the further course of action. I will share the report accordingly,” P K Pole said.
It may be recalled that the streetlights were, according to sources, purchased without following proper procedure for tendering.
“The highest price of a street light installed by the RDD cost Rs 14000, while the officials in Pulwama bought them at more than Rs 24000 when the similar light costs only Rs 12000 to Rs 14000,” sources had said.
Following this, the DDC members refused to install the lights in their constituency and Halqas that forced the district administration Pulwama to put the process of installation of the lights on hold.
However, the Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Pulwama had contested the claims saying proper procedure was followed while making the purchase.
