Technical Education Department trashes Raj Bhavan's Directive

Technical Edu Deptt mum over procurement delay Babus trash reminders of Guv's Secretariat Akshay Azad Early Times Report JAMMU, Apr 1: Ignorning directives of even Governor's Secretariat, few officials sitting inside the civil Secretariat appear to have even forgotten the bureaucratic courtesies like issuing acknowledgment of the communications received from the Raj Bhawan. As per the documents in possession of Early Times, one such example is Jammu and Kashmir Technical Education department. On 22nd of December 2015, Additional Secretary to Governor vide Raj Bhawan's letter no 965(G)Apl/15/6425 addressed to Commissioner/Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Technical Education Department had asked him to submit a report to Raj Bhawan on or before January 10, 2016. The Governor office had sought report from Technical Education, over a plea of RTI activist Raman Sharma who had earlier submitted a complaint to the Raj Bhawan regarding the delaying procurement of essential and modern machines for the ITI and Polytechnic Colleges of the state despite having adequate funds by Technical Education Department. RTI activist, Raman Sharma's complaint was based on Early Times news report published on December 11, 2015 titled "Technical Edu Deptt takes years to procure machinery- Skill Development mission a farce". Taking cognizance of the complaint, though the Raj Bhawan had asked the Commissioner/Secretary to submit a report by 10th of January but the Technical Education department remained in deep slumber and neither conduct any probe in the matter nor send any not response to the Governor's Secretariat. Moreover, understanding the bureaucratic attitude, Raj Bhawan once again after almost two months later sent a reminder to the Technical Education Department on 16/Feb/2016 (Reminder letter no. GS-965/G/APL/2015-16/2039 and asked it to submit the report within ten days. In an RTI reply dated March 8, Raj Bhawan have intimated that the report in the matter is still awaited. Earlier this newspaper, in a report on the issue regarding delay in procurement of items there in the Technical Education Department, have revealed that how did the department deliberately not finalized the tender and choose re-tendering for procurement of 106 machines for sewing trade (valuing Rs. 42000 each) as these tenders were floated over 14 months back & the delay was deliberate just to favour their favourite firms without caring the fact that the delay would result in cost escalation of the product if new tenders are called. It was also reported that how did the state level purchase committee, had reportedly earlier approved the quality and rates of these high speed, single needle industrial use sewing machines (valuing Rs. 42000 each) & for which even the samples were approved by the SLP did not place order despite having adequate advance funds in hand. "Moreover even today a sample of this high-tech machine is lying in the polytechnic college, Jammu", sources said. Sources further alleged that without any argument, State Level Purchase Committee was reportedly once again mulling to float re-tenders for purchase of these machines at much higher rates just to favour some favourate firms. " published in Early Times  dated  02/04/2016 http://www.earlytimes.in/m/newsdet.aspx?q=173050