The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered a case against Raman Puri, the former Chief Engineer of the Mughal Road Project, and others for corruption charges. This development comes after a verification process into allegations of irregular payments in the construction of Mughal Road from Bufliaz to Shopian-Pulwama.
The contract for the project was awarded to M/s Hindustan Construction Company Ltd. for Rs 214.40 crore in 2005, with a completion date set for 2009. However, the company failed to meet the deadline, and the matter was referred to arbitration.
During the verification process, it was discovered that Chief Engineer Raman Puri had unauthorized meetings with representatives of M/s Hindustan Construction Company Ltd. outside his office, violating code procedures.
The probe revealed that the Chief Engineer had purportedly approved claims submitted by Hindustan Construction Company Ltd., despite the department challenging these claims. This matter involved significant financial stakes, resulting in substantial losses to the public exchequer.
According to the ACB, the tender for this high-profile project was issued by the Joint Commissioner Works/Chief Engineer of the Mughal Road Project under the Public Works Department (PWD) on March 15, 2005.
After following standard procedures, the contract was awarded to M/s Hindustan Construction Company Ltd. at a cost of Rs 214.4 crore, approved by the State Contract Committee. An agreement was formalized under Agreement No. 61 PW(R&B) on February 6, 2006, with a scheduled start date of March 1, 2006, and an expected completion by February 28, 2009.
A supplementary agreement of Rs 126.64 crore was later entered on January 25, 2010, extending the completion deadline to March 31, 2011, which was further extended to February 15, 2012. Due to further delays, the case was referred to arbitration.
The ACB's verification process further uncovered that Chief Engineer Raman Puri had allegedly engaged with representatives of Hindustan Construction Company Ltd. outside official settings, bypassing standard protocols and ostensibly seeking undue advantage.
Irregularities Uncovered
- Unauthorized Meetings: Puri held unauthorized meetings with company representatives, which led to undue benefits being extended to the company.
- Undue Benefits: Puri, in collusion with the company, accepted arbitration awards totaling Rs 32.79 crore, causing significant losses to the government.
- Extension of Time: The company was granted extensions without proper orders or communication, preventing the imposition of damages for delays.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered case FIR No. 23/2024 against Raman Puri, former Chief Engineer, Mughal Road Project, PWD (R&B) Department, and others, including M/s Hindustan Construction Company Ltd., under sections 5(1)(d) and 5(2) of the J&K PC Act Svt 2006 and section 120-B of RPC against former Chief Engineer Raman Puri, Hindustan Construction Company Ltd., and others. Further investigations are underway.
