Shimla, September 11
Transporters allegedly in connivance with officials have been depriving the Himachal Government of crores of rupees by large-scale alleged malpractices in the supply of bitumen.

The modus operandi is simple — quote unreasonably low rates to secure contract for the transportation of bitumen from the two oil refineries at Mathura and Panipat and then make good the loss by selling a good part of the supply on the black market during transit.

Pilferage and adulteration of bitumen has been going on for the past quite some time but the state Agro-industries Corporation, which arranges procurement of bitumen in bulk and the Public Works Department, the end user, have been denying that stores were being pilfered adulterated with cheaper ingredients during transit.

However, their claim was exposed when a few trucks carrying bitumen to be delivered to subdivision III of the PWD at Kulu were seized by the uttar Pradesh police while being sold on the black market in Mathura itself. While the seized bitumen drums were lying in the custody of police at Yamunanagar station, the record of the PWD shows that the supplies had been received.

It is intriguing that the three trucks carrying 220 drums of bitumen were despatched from the Mathura refinery for Kulu vide invoice numbers 104339, 104340 and 104341 on June 27, 2002. But as per PWD records the consignment reached Kulu on June 5 (two trucks) and July 15 (third truck). How the supplies reached the destination almost three weeks before the actual despatch from the refinery is baffling. Senior PWD officers maintained that it did not concern them when the supplies were despatched or transported. It was the responsibility of the corporation, which procured the bitumen from the refinery. They, however, confirmed that the three trucks started off from Chandigarh and not Mathura and entry thereof was recorded at the Swarghat interstate barrier.

Mr Balbir Chauhan, Divisional Manager of the Corporation, who deals with bitumen supply, said the transporters might have delivered supply to Kulu from his stocks. He said the corporation made payment to the transporters only after confirming that the PWD had received the supply. A report had already been sent to the Chief Minister in this regard.

According to the conditions for the carriage of bitumen, the supply has to be delivered without transhipment on the way but this condition, it is obvious, is not being adhered to.

If the corporation’s version was true the transporters must be maintaining stocks at Chandigarh which was patently wrong. More so because there have been reports that supplies were being adulterated during transhipment and only two months back the Punjab police raided a godown in Sujanpur, near Pathankot, which was being used to store pilfered bitumen. Equipment like machine for sealing drums, empty barrels and fake government seals were also recovered. The accused persons confessed that they used to take out 10 to 12 kg of bitumen from every drum and replaced it with water and other cheaper material.

It is alleged that transporters have been indulging in to such malpractices in collusion with corporation officials and the field staff of the PWD. Some of the trucks transporting bitumen never reach the destination but in official record the supply is shown received and consumed. In fact, a record of every drum of bitumen consumed is maintained by the PWD.

The corporation procures bitumen worth Rs 20 crore to Rs 22 crore every year and according to conservative estimates nearly 15 per cent to 20 per cent of it is pilfered in transit.

Surprisingly, the transport company was charging almost the same freight for the carriage of drums from Mathura and Panipat, whereas the distance of Mathura from most destinations in the state was 250 to 265 km more. Similarly, transportation charges from distant places was on the lower side.

Even Dr R.L. Markanday, Himachal Animal Husbandry Minister, who also looks after the PWD portfolio, had apprehended malpractices when rates quoted by contractors were unrealistic at the time of acceptance of tenders. After receiving reports of pilferage and adulteration of supplies during transhipment, he had recommended a Vigilance inquiry. However, the government, did not heed his advice giving rise to suspicion that the transporters enjoyed political patronage.