Probe PWD officials who awarded contracts to kin: BJP

FORMER BJP national secretary Kirit Somaiyya has submitted a list of 12 public works department (PWD) officers who allegedly awarded contracts for project works to firms owned by their spouses and sons.

Somaiyya said,“Corruption in the PWD is not limited to any individual engineer or section engineer. It is a network operating in nexus.” The BJP leader has also given documents to Jayant Kumar Banthia. The list includes officials ranging from executive engineer to joint engineer and section engineer and pertains to PWD offices in Nashik,Parbhani,Pune,Jalgaon,Aurangabad and Nagpur.

A senior PWD official said,“As the matter has been placed before ACB and chief secretary,we have nothing to comment. An internal probe will be launched once it is brought to our notice.”

ACB is still probing a disproportionate assets case involving executive engineer Satish Chikhlikar in Nashik. Chikhlikar was caught redhanded accepting a bribe of Rs 22,000 from a contractor by the ACB. ACB sources said,“The total worth of the money,jewellery and properties is being evaluated. We are still locating other assets outside Nashik.