E-Paper
Irregularity in supply of Mela material alleged
Public convenience units provided by Medical and Health Department may collapse this time during the Ardh Kumbh. Reason: Instead of Kansa , (a type of hard grass grown in marshy land and near ponds) sarpat and narai (also from grass family) is being planned to be used in the urinals and lavatories that will come up at thousands of places in the sprawling Ardh Kumbh mela for the convenience of pilgrims.
Public convenience units provided by Medical and Health Department may collapse this time during the Ardh Kumbh. Reason: Instead of Kansa , (a type of hard grass grown in marshy land and near ponds) sarpat and narai (also from grass family) is being planned to be used in the urinals and lavatories that will come up at thousands of places in the sprawling Ardh Kumbh mela for the convenience of pilgrims.
Health department sources said, Kansa is used in the pit to prevent soil erosion because of its soaking capacity and hardness whereas sarpat and narai which are soft give in to pressure and spoil the pit. Also, these two varieties are available at much cheaper rate than Kansa.
Interestingly, the department floated a tender for the supply of 4,000 quintals of Kansa for the construction of 25,000 lavatories. Besides, a number of urinals will also come up in the nearly ten kilometre radius mela for the visiting pilgrims. The lowest rate of Rs 90 per quintal was approved for a firm. But the firm, allegedly in connivance with some officials and doctors in the health department, has started dumping sarpat and narai instead of Kansa in the mela area.
Worse, the firm supplying Kansa had been blacklisted earlier but on their part the health department officials willingly or unwillingly have overlooked this glaring fact.
The firm was reportedly blacklisted after objections raised by the chief treasury officer in the year 2004 following the completion of the yearly magh mela. The firm had been directed to supply third category brick numbering 2.04 lakh. But the firm demanded payment after supplying 1.80 lakh bricks. On physical verification it was detected that the firm had only supplied 1.34 lakh bricks.
Interestingly, entry of only 2000 bricks had been shown in the stock register which carried no signatures.
Besides this, the firm was found adopting manipulative tricks in the supply of some other items. The treasury officer had also recommended strict action against all those who were found conniving with the firm.
But no action was reportedly taken against the firm which has started functioning under the garb of another name while at the same time retaining the original name which had been blacklisted, said sources on condition of anonymity.
Medical and Health Department stores incharge Dr PB Saxena on being asked, refuted the allegation of supply of sarpat and narai instead of Kansa. He said, there was no discrepancy as every thing was taking place under the watchful eyes of Mela officer.
