Payments worth crores alleged released on fake bills
Ambala: The residents of Ambala raise questions over no action taken against those officers who released payments to the contractors and suppliers on the basis of fake bills in which work was either not done or material was not supplied in several beneficial projects which are left incomplete for a long time. During a recent press conference with the Deputy Commissioner Parth Gupta who took charge a few days ago, he assured to investigate the matter and visited these projects left incomplete since a long time on which an amount worth hundreds crore has already been spent.
Surprisingly, the concerned officers of PWD (B&R) released payments of fake bills in which the contractor had not done work or goods were not supplied. Information reveals, when the frauds attracted headlines in the newspapers government had assured to take action against those involved in embezzlements, transferred few of them just for an eyewash, but no stern action was taken against any one, rather few of the alleged accused were promoted and the case was dumped in files. However, PWD (B&R) has failed to recover the excess amounts paid to the contractors and the suppliers without work done or receipt of goods and several buildings are left incomplete in twin city Ambala thus causing heavy loss to the government.
Parth Gupta DC Ambala assured to look into the matter after having a meeting with PWD (B&R) officers. According to the residents of twin city Ambala as well as political parties in opposition, why no action has been taken against the contractors and suppliers who raised fake bills as well as concerned government employees released payments on the basis of fake bills for their self-vested interest, demanding to hand over the case to the state Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) or CBI for investigation in the embezzlements. A fraud worth crores of rupees was allegedly exposed in the construction of the football stadium in War Heroes Memorial Stadium Ambala Cantt in which the project cost increased to Rs 115 crore and excess payment worth Rs 65.87 crore was released to the contractor by the concerned government staff without receipt of material at site.
Some of other important projects in twin city Ambala left incomplete since a long time include construciton of administrative block in the mini secretariat in which excess amount worth Rs 13,20 crore was paid, construction of Homeopathic College at Chandanpura in Ambala Cantt in which excess amount Rs 7.74 crore was paid, construction of residential flats for doctors and para-medical staff in Ambala Cantt in which excess amount worth Rs 14.23 crore was paid, construction of a 100 Beds block in the civil hospital Ambala Cantt in which excess amount worth Rs 2.28 crore was paid, construction of Government Women College building in Ambala City in which excess amount worth Rs 1.6 crore was paid, construction of Academic & Administrative block in Polytechnic Institute at Lakhnaura Sahib in which amount worth Rs 6.39 crore was paid in excess.
