Staff Reporter :
Probe body formed by the Housing and Public Works Ministry found proof of looting more than Tk 36 crores in purchasing the furniture and other household items for the officials and employees of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
The probe committee on Monday submitted two reports to the High Court (HC) in this regard.
In the reports, the probe committee also recommended to take action against 50 persons, including Executive Engineer Masudul Alam. At the same time, it has been recommended to take the necessary steps to bring the money back to the government treasury.
According to reports in the media as well as on social media, the purchased prices of various items to furnish the project’s 966 apartments for the Russian engineers and others were abnormally higher than the market prices.
The reports claimed that each pillow was bought for Tk 5,957, and the cost of carrying it to an apartment was Tk 760. An electric stove cost Tk 7,747 and the carrying cost from the ground floor to the top one cost Tk 6,650.
The reports also said that the price of an electric iron was Tk 4,154 and the carrying cost Tk 2,945.
Media reports also said that salary of the Project Director was Tk 4.96 lakh and an Executive Director of the project can receive an additional Tk 2.00 lakh. In addition, the salary of each driver was around 73,000, cooks would get Tk 63,000. The total cost for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant stands at around Tk 1,13,025 crore.
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Sayedul Haque Suman filed a writ petition with the High Court on May 20, 2019, bringing allegation that excessive amount of money has reportedly been spent for purchasing furniture, pillows, and other items for the officials and employees of Rooppur plant. The salaries fixed for them are also unusual, he said in the petition.
In the hearing of the writ petition, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said, Housing Ministry already formed two separate inquiry committees to conduct the inquiry into the reported irregularities in purchasing furniture and other household products for Rooppur plant’s officials and employees. At this stage, the HC should not interfere in the matter, he argued.
To comply with the HC’s order, the Ministry on Monday submitted two probe reports in the court. It was said in the report that contract price of supplying furniture and electric equipment for construction of four buildings is Tk 113 crore 62 lakh 94 thousand. But the goods have been supplied for Tk 77 crore 22 lakh 85 thousand. That means contract price is more than Tk 36 crore 40 lakh 9 thousand to the actual price of supplied goods.
