By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 7 Dec: Congress leader Abhinav Thapar has alleged a hoardings scam in Nagar Nigam to the tune of over Rs 300 crores and has demanded a fair inquiry into the allegations.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Thapar reminded that he had held a press conference on 26 November and 28 November regarding this scam and had even submitted a memorandum in this regard to the then Mayor of Dehradun, Sunil Uniyal Gama, to take up this issue at the last Board meeting of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation. Under pressure from the Congress party and him, Gama has claimed that an inquiry has been ordered but Thapar said that there is a need for a comprehensive investigation into the allegations that a cartel has been working in the business of hoardings in the city. It has been this cartel that has been getting the tenders worth Rs 300 crores for hoardings in the state capital on a continuous basis.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Thapar also alleged that a large number of illegal hoardings were put up across the city by this cartel and, when he raised the issue with the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner, all these hoardings suddenly disappeared overnight and all the evidence regarding the illegal hoardings destroyed. He alleged that the cartel has been causing huge loss of revenue to the Municipal Corporation due to irregularities in the tender process. In this process, even the orders of the High Court have been violated, he further alleged. Every time the tender is awarded to this cartel and given a further extension without any fresh process, Thapar claimed.
Thapar said that the then Mayor Gama had claimed that the tender process is not in his hands but he would order an inquiry in case there is any irregularity. He added that the Chief Municipal Commissioner had admitted to him that the same companies had been reallocated the tender for 2022-23.
Thapar claimed he would soon approach the Uttarakhand High Court and the central investigation agencies in case the Municipal Corporation does not get a proper investigation done in the scam.
