Senior officer allegedly violates model code of conduct in BTC

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: At a time when the Governor of Assam Prof Jagdish Mukhi, who is running the BTC, is looking for establishment of a good system of administration, with a senior officer of the Tourism department of the council has been violating the election model code of conduct.

Sources in the BTC Secretariat said that the Council Head of the Department (CHD), Tourism, BTC, Moitreyee Das, who joined the department only in September, has been allegedly violating the election model code of conduct and has allotted work order of lakhs of rupees to a firm, defying the Governor's intent to establish corruption-free governance in the council. The senior officers of the council, including the department officials of the department concerned, have expressed wonder as to how she could accord work order to the firm without following the procedure of the office and model code of conduct.

An official on condition of anonymity said that CHD, Moitreyee issued work order of Rs. 41,96,500 to the proprietor of NEXT of Govindapur, Simlaguri in Baksa district for executing work of 'Social Media and Digital Marketing' on September 29, 2020 while the election code of conduct is in force. The same project is being executed by the developer of M/s Raicom Enterprise, Kokrajhar vide letter no. RC/Mkt/SW/2017-18/0036, dated October 13, 2017 and the completion of the work is January 20, 2021. Now the question is how the CHD can issue fresh work order when the period of the contract project is yet to be completed. Former CHD of Tourism, BTC, Jolly Das Brahma vide no letter no. DT/G-107/Raicom Enterprise/2017-18/27, dated June 24, 2020 asked the firm to update the website with adequate information, photographs, upcoming events and festivals of other departments as well. Sources also said the work for updating the events was being done.

Sources also said that the CHD, Tourism, BTC, again issued work order of Rs. 58,01,500 vide reference no. BTC/Tourism/14/2019-20/10, dated June 10, 2020 for the completion of the redesign of website. The time limit for completion of redesign of website was October 30, 2020. Interestingly, both the work orders for executing the social media and digital marketing and redesign of the website were issued on the same date - September 29, 2020. Now the question is how both execution of work and completion of redesign can be issued on the same date?

The sources from the finance department say that a CHD cannot issue work order of over Rs. 50 lakh but the CHD of Tourism department of BTC issued work order for Rs. 58, 01, 500 for the execution of work. Sources also said that if the amount was above Rs. 50 lakh then the department must invite e-tendering and must be published in the newspapers but they have questioned as to how and when e-tender was invited during the ongoing model code of conduct. The validity of administrative approval of any work is six months but Moitreyee showed the letter no. of the AA on 10 June, 2019 which is more than 14 months.

Interestingly, Moitreyee joined the department of Tourism as CHD of BTC on September 15, 2020 and she issued work order within 14 days of her joining the department which is quite suspicious. The officials of the BTC Secretariat expressed concern over the violation of model code of conduct and drew the attention of the Governor in this regard.

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