The state Congress has raised eyebrows over the construction of a cricket stadium at Nurpur by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA). In a press conference state Congress General Secretary Ajay Mahajan alleged misuse of public funds and irregularities in the initial construction of the stadium and demanded high-level probe into the alleged irregularities, misuse of government funds and violation of department rules.
He said the previous Congress government had sanctioned Rs one crore for the proposed multi-sports stadium here, out of which Rs 36 lakh had been spent on its construction. He said
“The PWD after taking over the lease of the proposed site of the stadium by the HPCA had demolished the structure without inviting dismantling tenders. Now, when the entire responsibility for executing the construction of the stadium rests upon the HPCA, the PWD is utilising remaining previous allocated funds of the stadium by raising retaining wall around the stadium ground. It has violated the e-tendering rule of the department by splitting construction work worth Rs 30 lakh into three fractions with a motive to ‘benefit’ some political favourites. Whereas the department is supposed to resort to e-tendering up to the work to the tune of Rs 25 lakh,”
Whereas YP Samyal, executive engineer, HPPWD, Nurpur division, refuted all allegation leveled by the Ajay Mahajan and claimed that there were no irregularities committed in the construction of the stadium as the old structure had been demolished by inviting conditional tenders.
