The fresh scam pertains to sale of Traffic Department’s scrap. A total of 8000 kilograms of scrap was sold when the order was to sell only 6000 kilograms of scrap and that too at very low cost.
Nagpur News:
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), it appears, is being hit by a chain of scams. Now, even the investigation into the Fire Brigade Department’s “scrap deal scam” has not been completed, another “scrap deal scam” has raised its ugly head, thus forcing the citizens call the NMC the hub of scams. The fresh scam pertains to sale of Traffic Department’s scrap. A total of 8000 kilograms of scrap was sold when the order was to sell only 6000 kilograms of scrap and that too at very low cost.
According to reports, the old, dilapidated signal poles were replaced with the new ones for smooth road traffic in the city. Similarly, barricades, advertisement poles were also removed. All these materials added the NMC stock of scrap in a big way. Since the material was lying in scrap yard for many years, the Traffic Department sent a proposal to NMC Commissioner for disposing of the scrap material. The then Traffic Department Engineer Naseer Khan and his Assistant Junior Engineer Ajay Dahake had sent the proposal to the NMC Commissioner. Accordingly, tenders were invited for the disposal of the scrap. Four companies took part part in the tender process.
The tenders were opened in February 2013. The scrap material was sold at Rs 20 a kilo while the market rate prevailing at that time was Rs 35-40 a kilo. Moreover, the order for disposing of the scrap was limited to 6000 kilograms. However, the Engineer Naseer Khan and Assistant Junior Engineer Dahake “conspired” and sold 8000 kilograms of scrap. Both ways they put the NMC at a loss and profited the concerned purchasers of the scrap. Of course, for obvious reasons. Naseer Khan was suspended over an issue. Dahake is “notorious” for clearing the bills with percentage. The contractors and Dahake had a free-for-all is a well known fact. Now, focus is on NMC Commissioner for the next course of action.
STOCKBOOK MISSING:
The gathered scrap is stocked in Dharampeth. According to rules, a stockbook is mandatory for monitoring purpose. But the sources said, the NMC’s Traffic Department has no stockbook at all. There is no record of scrap stock and the sold scrap. The possibility of the sold scrap material might be 10,000 kilograms, sources said. Similarly, there is no record of purchased paint and utilized in road markings.
