Shimla, April 4 (). Tikendra Singh Panwar, former deputy mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation, on Tuesday alleged a nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and a private company formed in 2018 to pump water from the Sutlej river with the help of the World Bank and supply it to the state capital. Demanded an inquiry into the affairs of the Shimla Jal Nigam Management Limited (SJNPL).
In a letter to Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Panwar pointed out violations in running the utility and demanded a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and ensure that those who misappropriated funds are brought to book. Should be done – Politicians, bureaucrats and officers.
If you peruse some of the files, especially the letters I have written to your office, you will realize that this utility has become a haven for opaque deals, corruption and cronyism of the worst order.
Pointing towards performance-based contracting, which was stalled and struck down due to persistent voices raised by many who want a fair amount of transparency in running such utilities, the CPI(M) leader said in a report to the CAG . Said in the assembly on Monday that the process and manner of running SJNPL has been accused. This is in violation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment, as pointed out in the report.
Now, the election of Shimla Municipal Corporation has been announced. It is going to happen on 2 May. I request you to ensure that the performance-based contract is stopped and a team is constituted to look into the fact as to why the terms have been changed time and again.
I have already pointed out the nexus that exists between some officials of the utility and a private company that is almost certain to win the contract. The terms have been tailored to ensure a cakewalk for this company.
Earlier, Panwar wrote a letter to Auguste Tano Coume, country director of the World Bank, demanding a review of the bank’s decision regarding the Shimla water scheme.
The Bank’s decision to raise reasonable objections to the present tender placed by SJNPL for performance-based contract is commendable. I have been taking up these issues with the Bank and the State Government from the very beginning of the tender process.
There are gross violations in the tender process that suggest deep collusion of water utility officials with a particular company that is almost certain to win the contract.
Tikender told the media that there was a need to cancel SJNPL, which was registered under the Companies Act by the previous BJP government.
He said that the renaming of the utility as done in 2016-17, Greater Shimla Water Supply and Sewage Circle (RAHARU) and transfer of the entire utility to Shimla Municipal Corporation, which is the sole agency to run the water and sewage utility Should have been In the city of Shimla, as mandated under the 74th Constitutional Amendment.
As per the project with an outlay of $250 million (Rs 1,813 crore), it will cater to the demand of the Shimla Planning Area including the suburbs Kufri, Ghanti and Shoghi for a projected population of 4.13 lakh by 2050.
Shimla, planned for a maximum population of 16,000 during the British Raj, is now home to 2.47 lakh people with a provisional population of 75,000 as of the 2011 census, according to the state’s urban development records.
For more than a decade, this tourist town has been supplied water once in two or three days, especially during summer. In some mohallas, water is supplied once a week.
KC/ANM
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