Senthil Kumar
Rangat, Aug 13: On one hand the Lt. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been making appeal to exhibit ethos of utmost financial prudence and endeavour for progressive reduction of non-developmental expenditure and on the other hand some Panchayats are showing exemplary talent in siphoning off public money.
The latest example to this is visible at Rangat Village, where the Gram Panchayat Rangat has placed dozens of Dustbins across Rangat area. Actually the Panchayat Purchased fibre drums and placed it as Dustbins after painting it.
The drums, which are probably available in Port Blair at the rate of Rs. 800 to Rs. 1200 have been purchased in large number at the rate of Rs.5000, each.
Altogether 18 drums were purchased in present phase and total amount of Rs. 88,992 has been paid to a firm of Rangat Bay, which doesn’t even has a outlet of shop at Rangat Bay.
Rs 88,992 for 18 drums means each drum cost Rs. 4944, which clearly shows how public money is wasted by the Rangat Panchayat.
When further details were asked under RTI it was revealed that the Panchayat had actually purchased the drums at the rate of Rs. 26,550, which means Rs. 1472 each and after that each drums were unnecessarily painted in some portion for which Rs. 52470 was paid to the supplier.
Andaman Sheekha has photographs of such dustbins and readers can make out that only in the middle portion the drums were painted but for this amount more than the actual cost was paid to the supplier.
The matter does not end here for writing four words ‘G.P. Rangat Dustbin’ the Panchayat paid Rs. 6750 and for two stickers the Panchayat paid Rs. 3060 to the Supplier.
When Andaman Sheekha Correspondent asked the Panchayat Secretary about such wastage of public money, the Panchayat Secretary said that the Panchayat was actually trying to experiment.
However, it is not clear who got maximum profit from this experiment.
The Dustbins placed a few months back have started getting cracks and within a few months these costly dustbins will be thrown in garbage dumping area. After that perhaps the Panchayat will again procure some more such Dustbin wasting Public Money.
Hope the Anti-Corruption Department will find some time to inquire into this matter too.
