MC puts 6 engineers on notice

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 25

Finally, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has issued show-cause notices to six engineers of the public health wing in the case pertaining to substandard work during the laying of water pipes in March last year near the Sector 26-27 roundabout in the city.

Former Chief Engineer SS Bidda had concluded that due to the substandard work, water pipes burst, leaving residents of Sectors 19, 20, 21 and 26 to 30 without water supply for two days.

Confirming the development, MC Chief Engineer Mukesh Anand said the file to issue the show-cause notices to six engineers was cleared by him yesterday. Thereafter, the notices were issued, he said. The show-cause notices were issued to RS Bedi, Executive Engineer, BK Dhawan, Executive Engineer, Amit Sharma, Subdivisional Engineer,

Hansraj Gupta, Subdivisional Engineer, Angrej Singh, Junior Engineer and Rakesh Kumar, Junior Engineer. The work was allotted to Zirakpur-based firm SB Enterprises in 2008 and the company left the work mid-way. Later, the work was allotted to a Kharar contractor, Rama Shankar.

In August, a Zirakpur resident had lodged a complaint with MC Commissioner Bhawna Garg, requesting her to direct the MC Chief Engineer to initiate proceedings as recommended by former Chief Engineer SS Bidda. “You caused a loss to the state exchequer as the purpose of restoring uninterrupted water supply was defeated. As the water line was not tested before releasing the payment of Rs 9 lakh, it clearly shows lack of supervision and negligence,” the show-cause notice states.