Panel asks govt to take action in bomb-suit scam

MUMBAI: In a major embarrassment to the state government, a report tabled in the assembly on Tuesday stated that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the state

MUMBAI: In a major embarrassment to the state government, a report tabled in the assembly on Tuesday stated that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the state legislature has slammed the home department for delaying the purchase of bomb suits and dilly-dallying for initiating action against police officers and supplier involved in the suits scam worth Rs6.22 crore.

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Terming it an ‘organised financial crime’ by the officers from the police department, the committee has recommended their suspension and initiation of criminal action against the supplier who claimed the money despite rejection of the consignment comprising substandard suits.

CRACKING THE WHIP

Besides rapping the home department for its sloppy approach, the committee has now sought state’s intervention in this matter.

It has also directed the government to recover the amount from the supplier. The committee also took the government to task over discrepancies in its previous submissions.

In the past, the state had apprised the committee that the three suppliers it has shortlisted — Techno Trade Impex, Amini Industries and Shashneshwar Industrial Works — were blacklisted after irregularities came to the fore.

But the committee observed that the firms continue to supply materials to other departments such as tribal and women and child welfare.

“This shows the lack of coordination between the departments. Despite being blacklisted, the suppliers continue to bid for other departments. Also, the proprietors for all the three firms go scot-free and then float a new company to continue working for government departments. This defeats the purpose of delisting the companies. Beside better coordination between the departments, the names of the proprietors and directors should be displayed on government websites,” states the PAC report.

UNEXPERIENCED FIRMS

The committee also pointed out that all the three blacklisted companies belonged to a single proprietor, who lacked expertise or experience in providing the services for the contract awarded.

“This is a serious lapse on the part of the mechanism of awarding contracts, as no criteria or standards were set by the government,” the repot claimed.

The government has now been asked to set deadline to conclude the inquiry and implement the action suggested by the inquiry panel headed by Congress legislator Gopaldas Agrawal.