Rautahat, July 19

It has come to light that District Development Committee, Rautahat has paid bills prepared by a consumer committee that exceeds the criteria for expenses determined by the DDC itself.

The DDC had fixed the rate for development works at the beginning of the fiscal with the condition that construction works would have to be completed in accordance with the fixed rate. The technicians had prepared budget estimates for development works on the basis of the DDC’s rate. However, the DDC released the amount demanded by the consumer committee for buying electricity poles under the constituency development programme of Ram Kumar Bhattarai of Constituency No 6.

The DDC had fixed Rs 5,000 for purchase of a pole and Rs 1,200 for its supply. But the DDC, as per the bill, released Rs 6,500 for buying a pole and Rs 1,200 for its supply after the consumer committee furnished the plans.

It is reported that a consumer committee was formed under the chairmanship of Krishna Prasad Pokhrel of Chandrapur Municipality under the constituency development programme for buying electricity poles in Chandrapur Municipality, Sakhuawa Dhamaura, Ramauli Bairiniya, Gahariya Birta, Bishrampur and Hardiya. The DDC had released Rs 10 lakh for the programme in agreement with the consumer committee to buy 173 poles and then to supply and install the poles.

It is said that the district technical office has prepared a bill as per the consumers committee’s rate. Rs 985,000 was released after the technical office prepared a bill for the purchase and supply of 126 poles.

Chief Mukti Ram Bhattarai of the district technical office said that he was unaware of the rate prepared by the consumers committee. He assured that he would seek clarification from technicians and would get them to return the amount.