Agra: A probe conducted by Agra Municipal Corporation ( AMC ) authorities has found electricity department engineers guilty of favouring a private contractor in tendering process. The probe officer has recommended departmental action against a junior, an assistant and an executive engineer of the civic body’s electricity department.The probe, ordered by additional municipal commissioner, found that the security money deposited by the contractor was Rs 1 lakh less than the fixed amount. Besides, standard operating procedure was also not followed in awarding the work contract to the private firm concerned.According to sources, in October 2018, the electricity department of AMC had issued tenders for installation of street light poles with LEDs from Purani Mandi to Moti Lal Park. The cost of tender application form was Rs 2,000 but the private contractor concerned was provided the form for Rs 1,000. The contractor had to submit a fixed deposit receipt (FDR) of Rs 3.42 lakh as security money for the assigned work. But the contractor submitted an FDR of Rs 2.40 lakh. Despite the anomalies, engineers of the electricity department assigned the work to the contractor without following standard procedure to be followed.Following complaints of malpractices in the tendering process, additional municipal commissioner Vijay Kumar in December 2018, ordered a probe into the matter. The probe found the engineers of the electricity department guilty of violating norms to favour a private contractor.Municipal commissioner Arun Prakash said, “The probe report concerning malpractices in the street light tendering process has been received. Suitable action will be taken against the engineers involved and the private contractor for causing revenue loss. The matter will be further investigated.”Meanwhile, municipal commissioner has warned contractors to start work contracts assigned to them without any further delay. They have been asked to complete contract formalities of tenders approved within next seven days or else they will be blacklisted. Civic body administration wants all the pending development works to start before enforcement of the model code of conduct ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

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