Ujjain: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has filed an FIR against former Public Health Engineering department Engineer-in-Chief Guman Singh Damor, who is now the BJP member of Lok Sabha from Ratlam for manipulating prices of water tanks purchased for Simhastha 2016. Three other officers of the PHE department have also been named in the FIR.
Massive scandal was reported in the purchase of water tanks. The government was allowed to purchase 1,200 tanks. Concerned officials are alleged to have split the purchase into three parts and offered contracts to favoured parties. The tanks worth Rs 15,000 were allegedly purchased at Rs 40,000 and 2,000 litre tanks worth Rs 10,000 were purchased for Rs 16,000 each.
Superintendent of Police Rajesh Raghuvanshi said that in Simhastha 2016, 1,200 tanks were purchased by PHE for the supply of water for Rs 12.5 crore. Atmajit Saluja of Indore had complained that there were numerous irregularities the purchases. Investigation revealed then E-in-C Guman Singh Damor, Executive Engineer Dharmendra Verma, Chief Engineer KK Sonagariya, AC Deep Ratnavat flouted many rules in purchases.
Raghuvanshi said an FIR was registered in the LED scam regarding the construction of the Simhastha toilets. While an FIR was registered in the past over water tank scam purchases, a second FIR has been filed earlier this week. Thus, four cases are under investigation on the Simhastha Scam.
Earlier in September also the EOW registered two FIRs related to construction of toilets and purchasing of LED street lights.The then Director General of EOW K.N. Tiwari had said evidence of additional payment of Rs 1.32 crore has been found in construction of temporary toilets for Simhastha fair in 2016.
Apart from this, an additional payment of Rs 3.50 crore was also made for installing LED street lights in the Simhastha area. The EOW had registered FIR against the officers of Ujjain Municipal Corporation then.
Preliminary inquiry was initiated in a case of laying pipelines under the Department of Public Health Engineering (PHE). DG Tiwari had said for the work that could have been done for Rs 15 crore the department had spent Rs 50 crore. Preliminary investigation has also been initiated in the matter of making fake muster rolls and paying additional Rs 75 lakh.
