E-Paper
Power load: 3 Noida engineers found guilty of giving fiscal benefits to builder
The action by the three Noida engineers has led to loss of more than ₹10 crore to UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL)
A departmental inquiry committee has found three Noida engineers guilty of illegally giving financial benefits to a colonizer while sanctioning the power load for the Gaur Saundaryam multi-storey residential complex in Greater Noida, besides committing various other irregularities in the same matter.
People dealing with the issue said that the financial loss that the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) suffered due to the irregularities had been calculated to be more than ₹10 crore and the corporation, they said, had made up its mind to take stern action against the guilty.
The new scam in Noida has come to the fore even as the UPPCL is still to act against a dozen engineers and clerks who were found guilty two months ago of illegally issuing temporary power connections of smaller loads for the construction of multi-storey apartments in Noida, causing huge revenue loss to the corporation.
Directed by the UPPCL two weeks ago, the Meerut discom managing director set up a three-member committee to probe charges of irregularities in the development of the power infrastructure for the Gaur Saundaryam residential apartment comprising 2068 flats.
As per the inquiry committee’s findings into the current case, the technical feasibility report (TFR) for the sanction of 5200 KVA load for the under-construction residential complex in Greater Noida was approved and signed by the executive engineer, distribution and transmission, against the rules that required approval by the chief engineer, transmission. The technical report also did not bear any date.
The committee further found that the builder applied for the power load for 2068 flats but the accused did not calculate the required load of three towers comprising 208 flats which benefitted the builder in financial terms. The accused, it was found, also recovered lower supervision charges and cable charges from the builder.
The committee said that then SDO, Greater Noida, then executive engineer, Greater Noida and then superintending engineer, Noida were primarily responsible for giving financial benefit to the builder by bungling in the calculation of the power load, showing lower cost f the estimate and recovering lower supervision charges.
“Another confidential report prepared by the UPPCL has estimated the loss to the department to be more than ₹10 crore because of intentional irregularities committed by the then engineers,” a UPPCL official said.
The UPPCL ordered inquiry into the matter after some local residents sent a complaint with documentary evidences to MD, Pankaj Kumar some time back.
Chief engineer, Noida region, VN Singh, superintending engineer, Noida, Niranjan Kumar Singh and executive engineer, Greater Noida, Dheerendra Kumar who conducted the probe, submitted their findings on November 11. Kumar, when asked, said that action against the accused was in progress.
