INSTEAD OF CANCELING CONTRACT ON MISTAKES MADE BY SURVEY COMPANY, MORE THAN DOUBLE PAYMENT WAS MADE TO IT

Kumari Selja General Secretary, All India Congress Committee and former Union Ministersaid that a big scam was carried out in the name of survey of property IDs in urban civic bodies, but the BJP-JJP alliance government was trying to cover it up. Instead of punishing the survey company for its mistakes, it was rewarded by paying more than double the fixed amount. Now, in lieu of getting the errors rectified, corruption was rampant and bribe was being sought from the people openly.

In a statement issued to the media, Kumari Selja said that the tender for surveying the properties in the cities was given by the alliance government to a private company of Jaipur.

The estimated cost of the work as per the work order was Rs 18.11 crore, but the company was paid Rs 42.44 crore. This company had the responsibility of surveying property in 80 cities. According to the former Union Minister, the Urban Local Bodies Department was so kind to this company that there was a provision to cancel the contract, impose fines and stop payment if there were more than 20 percent mistakes in the survey, but the department did not take any action on the company.

In a statement issued to the media, Kumari Selja said that the tender for surveying the properties in the cities was given by the alliance government to a private company of Jaipur.The estimated cost of the work as per the work order was Rs 18.11 crore, but the company was paid Rs 42.44 crore. This company had the responsibility of surveying property in 80 cities. According to the former Union Minister, the Urban Local Bodies Department was so kind to this company that there was a provision to cancel the contract, impose fines and stop payment if there were more than 20 percent mistakes in the survey, but the department did not take any action on the company.

Between April 2020 and June 2022, Rs 42.44 crore was paid to the said private company. The state government should tell under whose pressure from the government this payment was made. After all, why was the government exchequer looted for a company in this way?

Kumari Selja said that this company had made lakhs of mistakes in the survey, due to which people living in the cities were suffering. People had to pay bribe to Municipality, Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation to rectify the error in the entry related to their property. Without offering bribe, they were not being heard and those who did not pay bribe had to visit these government offices again and again.

The former Union Minister said that the way the state government made a provision for depositing a fee of Rs. 5000 for making corrections in entries, thereafter, the rate of bribe will also increase. In such a situation, the state government should take strict action against those officers who, instead of taking action on the mistakes, caused loss to the government exchequer by showing kindness to the said company, added Kumari Selja.