Shimla, Oct 23
A Couple of audio clips are going viral on social media, where two individuals are being heard talking in local Mandi dialect about thousands of rupees worth of bribe given to a Junior Engineer and yet their work is not being done. The clip even refers about payment of a handsome sum fixed with a Pradhan. These alleged audios have once again indicated the prevailing corruption in the state civic bodies. Reportedly the clip belongs to Nerchowk of Mandi district which brings the home district of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in limelight for wrong reason.
The alleged audio refers to payment of money in differential installments to Junior Engineer in lieu of passing some bills. However as per the telephonic discussion between the two even after paying an amount of money to the JE, the bills were still not cleared. Therefore one of two speaking in the clipping (sounds like a contractor), offers to pay even more as per demand of the officials for getting the work done.
However the authenticity of the clips is yet to be ascertained but the two audio messages are going viral in social media. Kulbhushan Verma ASP Vigilance, Mandi informed no complaint has been received about the alleged audio clip and so no probe has been initiated so far.
Similar audio clippings had also come to light in the PPE kits purchase scam. In the same state agencies are now going to file the charge sheet after vindicating the matter to a logical end.
These alleged voice records indicate prevailing corruption in the state civic body. The purported audio indicates that despite being paid money tunes to 30, 000 and Rs 50,000 to pass bills the alleged functionary and the officials are still adamant to get more. The panic stricken two people are lamenting that despite payment of alleged money tunes to Rs 1.30 lakh the task remains unaccomplished.
This racket of passing bills is considered a tip of big ice-berg as many such developments will unfold with action of police department and state vigilance response to this viral audio.
There are unconfirmed reports that as many as dozen others clippings must have been recorded by the victim to expose this corrupt civic officer(s) or functionary who are inviting tenders on their whim and fancy despite the Government directive to only allow online bids for the developmental activities for spending of public money.
