DI pipes worth Rs 20.8 cr unused in Gurugram, PAC calls for probe

Bhartesh Singh Thakur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 5

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Haryana Vidhan Sabha has called for inquiry into the excess purchase of ductile iron (DI) pipes by Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) in Gurugram leading to blocking of Rs 20.8 crore.

The PAC was looking into an audit paragraph of CAG report on ‘Social General and Economic Sectors (Non-Public Sector Undertakings) for the year ending on 31st March 2017’ where the purchase of excess pipes was pointed out.

The CAG pointed out that scrutiny of records of Executive Engineer (EE), Division No II, Gurugram, which is the nodal office for purchase of all stores for all divisions at Gurugram, revealed that 10,831m ductile iron (DI) pipes of different sizes valuing Rs 20.8 crore were lying in stock as on March 2017.

These pipes were procured between February 2011 and May 2013 for works which were already approved and works for which estimates were under process.

The works, for which the pipes were procured, were not executed. Division No. II intimated (February 2016 and January 2017) to all EEs of HUDA divisions in the state to send their requisition for DI pipes. However, no demand was received from any division.

In its reply, the department replied that the technical scheme of the master water supply was revised. As a result, the sizes of pipe also got changed. It added that pipes worth Rs 9.2 crore have been used and more pipes worth Rs 2 crore would be consumed in Sohna (Gurugram).

Dissatisfied with the reply, PAC recommended that a “thorough departmental inquiry be got conducted into the matter to fix the responsibility of the erring officers/ officials and action-taken report be submitted to the committee within a period of 30 days positively”.

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