This story is from January 20, 2021

Court asks govt to explain Bembla pipeline corruption allegations

Court asks govt to explain Bembla pipeline corruption allegations
Nagpur: Expressing concern over allegations of corruption and unethical practices in Rs302 crore Bembla-Yavatmal Amrut Water Supply project, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Tuesday directed Maharashtra government to explain its stand on the serious charges.
Petitioner Digambar Pachgade through counsel Shashibhushan Wahane had pointed out supply of substandard quality pipes, that often burst or leak ever since they were laid for the project by a West Bengal based company.
The project tender was awarded to PL Adke from Nashik, which purchased pipes from Jai Balaji Industries, Bardhman.
A division bench comprising justices Sunil Shukre and Avinash Gharote directed the respondents to submit a detailed report in tabular format on laying of pipelines and payments made to various companies within three weeks.
Quoting information obtained under the RTI Act, the petitioner claimed that the respondent companies — Jai Balaji Industries (which supplied pipes) and Quality Services and Solutions (QSS) in Kolkata (which certified their quality) — violated technical rules. Still, the government authorities were allowing them to escape their responsibility.
Wahane contended that due to use of inferior quality pipes, they are leaking or bursting and have damaged agricultural lands of farmers. Even after replacement, same problem continued for all these days and hence the water never reached farmers of suicide hit Yavatmal district, for which the pipeline was laid.
According to him, when pipelines were checked by a VNIT team, they found it very substandard. The petitioner had even lodged complaints with authorities like Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP), but since all government officials are hand-in-glove with the respondent companies, no action took place for the last couple of years.
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