Audio clip of BMC GM's threat to contractor goes viral

BAREILLY:

Bareilly

municipal commissioner Rajesh Kumar Shrivastava has ordered a probe after an audio clip of a senior BMC employee of the Jalkal department purportedly threatening a private contractor over the phone to take back his complaint regarding misappropriation in tendering of a Rs 12-crore tubewell project.


TOI has a copy of the audio clip.

In the audio clip, a voice said to be that of general manager, Jalkal, VN Dwivedi, is heard asking the contractor to take back the complaint. He mentions about his “good terms” with mafia-turned-politician and former MP Atiq Ahmad and Gorakhpur mafia Harishankar Tripathi.

Dwivedi has denied that the voice belongs to him.

According to BMC sources, the official from Jalkal department had awarded three private agencies the project though one of them was unfit and lacked experience certificate. The private contractor of the fourth firm, Vivek Gupta, had then lodged a complaint with BMC in the matter. Its papers had been rejected.

Speaking with TOI, municipal commissioner RK Shrivastava said, “This is a serious offence. A government official threatening anybody by taking the name of mafia will not be tolerated in the department. A departmental inquiry in the matter has been ordered and the official concerned has been asked to give an explanation regarding the audio that has gone viral. If he fails to give a satisfactory explanation and is found guilty, legal action will be initiated against him.”

On his part, Dwivedi told TOI, “The audio clip is fake and some tampering has been done with the audio clip. Also, I have been receiving threats over phone from the defaulting firm to accept the tender application or else my child, who is based in Ghaziabad, will be abducted. The documents of Vivek Gupta’s firm were found to be fake and hence, the firm’s tender was rejected.”

Tenders of around Rs 12 crore were floated by BMC for installing automation system in 66 tubewells. Four private firms had applied for the same. The civic body had rejected Vivek Gupta’s application, claiming that the firm lacked experience certificate. Gupta later lodged a complaint with Bareilly mayor Umesh Gautam and municipal commissioner, alleging that his firm was unnecessarily termed unfit. Thereafter, a departmental enquiry was ordered to cross verify the documents of the selected firms and the rejected one as well.

Contractor of the rejected firm Vivek Gupta said, “My firm was termed unfit by Dwivedi and he said I lacked an experience certificate. However, one of the three selected firms also lacks work experience certificate and hence, should also have been rejected. I had lodged a complaint with the mayor and municipal commissioner to look into the matter. Subsequently, I received a phone call last week from BMC GM, Jalkal, VN Dwivedi and he asked me to withdraw my complaint. Before disconnecting, he said he personally knows mafia dons Atiq Ahmad and Harishankar Tripathi.”