Pulwama: Authorities have refuted allegations of violating codal formalities in the installation of Solar Street Lights at Monghama village of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
In a viral video on social media, officials of the Rural Development Department (RDD) were accused of violating codal formalities while installing solar lights at Monghama village falling under Block Development Office (BDO) Tral. It was alleged that substandard equipment has been used instead of quality equipment as specified in the work order.
As per the allegations brand, pole height and capacity of batteries don’t match with specifications mentioned in the work order.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir, Block Development Officer Tral, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, termed the allegations as baseless.
He said all codal formalities have been followed in the execution of the work order in light of specifications for Luminary, Solar Module, Battery and GI Pole of Solar Street Lights obtained from JKEDA vide letter Number: ST/ED/SSL-Tender/46/2022/26027 dated 8-06-2023
The BDO said that as per GRF 2017, specifications and authentication reports assume importance over the brand. “The supplier submitted samples of three brands including the one mentioned in the contract order and our purchase committee preferred a particular brand over the other two after it qualified the required specifications and authentication reports,” the BDO said, adding that as per JKEDA specifications, minimum height of poles should be 6 metres.
The minimum requirement of pole height has been fulfilled at Monghama,” the BDO said, adding that the purchase of Solar Street Lights is L1, a permissible method when the cost of purchase is below Rs 5 lakh.
He also informed that Solar Street lights installed at Monghama have a warranty of five years from the supplier.
The test reports, certifications and warranty have been authenticated by the Bureau of Indian Standards, International Organisation for Standardisation Certification, Bharat Test House Pvt. Ltd and National Accreditation Board For Testing and Calibration Laboratories, Mir said.
