Amritsar, December 26
An RTI activist has alleged embezzlement in the LED light project and demanded a high-level inquiry into it. Suresh Sharma, an RTI activist and former district president of AAP, alleged that the contractor didn’t install Amritsar Smart City Limited (ASCL) signage with clips on LED light poles. He claimed that according to the tender about the replacement of lights, the government had proposed to pay Rs 11 for installing ASCL Signage with clips on the every pole. The government had paid the amount for the installation of 65,869 lights as per ASCL signage also. Separate payment was not to be made for the installation of signage and the authorities have to install these all over the city.
According to the tender documents, service wires were also to be installed by the contractor company for 65,869 lights, but the department had paid for all the wires to the contractor company separately and the contractor company had not installed any kind of service wire due to which the government paid lakhs of rupees, claimed Sharma.
After physically checking the lights, Sharma claimed that the company deliberately installed large brackets and clamps, which caused a loss of lakhs of rupees to the government.
“As per the contract, a total of 1,104 three-phase Central Control and Monitoring System (CCMS) were to be installed for controlling street lights, but these panels have been installed by the authorities in single face only, which is a violation of the tender rules,” Sharma alleged.
RTI activist Suresh Sharma said “There were several other shortcomings in the project. The officials concerned should be questioned for violation of terms of contract. I demand that an investigation should be conducted by the Chief Vigilance, Punjab, so that action can be taken against the guilty officials.”
