Latest news with #PublicHealthEngineeringDepartment
Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
RPP Infra hits the roof after bagging contract worth Rs 366 crore from Rajasthan's PHED
RPP Infra Projects was locked in 5% upper circuit at Rs 144.45 after the company announced that RPP-BCC JV has bagged an order worth Rs 365.85 crore from Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Ajmer, Rajasthan. The project involves "retrofitting work for providing water supply through functional household tap connections (FHTC) as per Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Guidelines." This covers 202 main habitations and 355 other habitations within the Ajmer Rural, Arain, and Silora Blocks of Ajmer District, drawing water from the Bisalpur Dam System. The contract also includes 10 years of operation and maintenance (O&M). RPP Infra Projects is the lead member in the RPP-BCC joint venture (JV), holding a 51% participating share in the same. The project has to be executed within a period of 20 months. RPP Infra Projects specializes in infrastructure development, including roads, buildings, industrial structures, power, and irrigation projects. The companys consolidated net profit fell 14.3% to Rs 11.67 crore in Q4 FY25, compared to Rs 13.61 crore posted in Q4 FY24. Revenue from operations slipped 16.1% year-on-year to Rs 345.88 crore in the quarter ended 31 March 2025.
The Print
06-07-2025
- Business
- The Print
RTI activist sought details of govt tenders. Haryana govt buried him under 37,443 pages
What he received in return was a staggering 37,443 pages of documents, weighing over 108 kilograms, after submitting a cheque and demand draft to pay a hefty Rs 80,000 in fees. Pankaj Arora, a local book depot owner filed a Right to Information (RTI) application with the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), seeking details of tenders, staffing, and expenditure. He now virtually finds himself buried under a mountain of papers! Gurugram: In a bizarre case in Haryana's Kurukshetra, an RTI activist's pursuit of transparency has turned into a paperchase—quite literally. Yet, Arora claims, the response is incomplete, with thousands of irrelevant pages dumped to obscure alleged irregularities. He also said, the banks informed him, the department has failed to encash the cheque and demand draft. Also Read: This Haryana information commissioner is striking terror in the hearts of govt officers A mountain of paper, but little clarity On 30 January 2025, Arora, who runs Mehar Book Depot in Sector 13, filed an RTI application with 15 pointed queries. He sought details of tenders issued by the PHED between January 2023 and January 2025, contractor licences, employee records under the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Yojana, GST payments, and departmental expenditure, among others. His aim: to uncover what he alleges are financial and procedural irregularities in the PHED. The department's response, however, was anything but straightforward. On 3 February, Arora received two letters from the Executive Engineer (XEN). One instructed subordinates to calculate the number of pages and fees, while the other demanded Rs 85,000 for rendering him the information. 'They sent two letters on the same day, contradicting each other. It felt like a deliberate attempt to confuse,' Arora told ThePrint. The fee was later reduced to Rs 80,000. Arora sent a demand draft for Rs 10,000 and a cheque for Rs 70,000. But, the department delayed the response for months. It was only after Arora escalated the matter to the governor, chief minister, chief secretary and Kurukshetra's deputy commissioner (DC) that the PHED acted. On 6 June, following the DC's intervention, the department dispatched a quintal of documents—37,443 pages—to Arora's doorstep, through one of its employees. Arora alleged the response is a classic case of information overload meant to obfuscate. 'Thousands of pages are irrelevant—copies of contractor agreements and other documents I never asked for,' he said. He claimed the department failed to provide critical details, such as specific tender processes, GST payment records, and audit reports, which were central to his RTI query. 'They're hiding a multi-crore scam in tenders and recruitments,' Arora alleged, adding he has now appealed to the State Information Commission, which has accepted his plea. What adds to the controversy is Arora's claims the Rs 80,000 he sent the cheque and the DD for was never encashed and deposited in the government treasury. 'I paid Rs.10,000 through a demand draft from PNB and Rs 70,000 via a banker's cheque from the Little Millennium School, both in my name. The bank confirmed the funds weren't deposited,' he said. Demand drafts and cheques typically expire after three months, raising questions about the department's handling of the payment. PHED defends its actions Sumit Garg, the Executive Engineer at PHED Kurukshetra, defended the department's response. Speaking to The Print on Sunday, Garg said, 'We provided the information as per the RTI application. Compiling nearly 40,000 pages took significant effort and over two months. The fee was calculated at Rs 2 per page, as per government rules.' Addressing the non-deposited payment, Garg claimed the issue arose because the demand draft and cheque were issued under the name of Mehar Book Depot and Little Millennium School, and not in Arora's name. 'We've asked him to validate the payments,' he added. Garg also dismissed Arora's request for digital records, stating, 'The RTI didn't specifically ask for digital copies.' Arora, however, insists he had requested digital formats to reduce paper use, in line with the government's paperless initiative. 'They ignored my request and sent a quintal of paper to intimidate me.' He also claims this is a record in Haryana—no RTI applicant has ever received such a voluminous response. 'It's a deliberate tactic to discourage activists. They thought I wouldn't pay Rs. 80,000, but I did. Now, they've buried me in useless papers,' he said. The activist has escalated his fight to Chandigarh, where his appeal is pending before the State Information Commission. For now, Arora remains undeterred, vowing to pursue the truth, even if it's buried under a mountain of paper. Also Read: Why UPSC has returned Haryana govt's proposal for promotion of 27 of its officers to IAS
Time of India
05-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Smart City dream fades as Jaipur battles potholes & flooded roads
1 2 Jaipur: With every spell of monsoon rain, Jaipur's dream of becoming a Smart City seems to slip further into waterlogged streets and gaping potholes. From inner-city colonies to high-end localities like Vatika Road, the situation has reached alarming levels, not just of inconvenience, but of actual danger. On Friday, after heavy showers, a car sank into a deep, water-filled pothole on Vatika Road. The roads, now reduced to rubble in several parts, are barely navigable. In many areas, residents walk in fear, unsure whether the ground beneath will cave in due to incomplete construction work or erosion. Manoj Yadav, a resident of Vatika Road, voiced his frustration: "We no longer trust the govt or the officials. How can they call this a Smart City? It's a joke now." The root of the crisis lies in poor coordination between departments like the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), and the Power Transmission Corporation. PHED began laying water pipelines but failed to finish the work on time. As a result, JDA could not repair or resurface the roads before the rains, leading to sunken patches, open trenches, and dangerous craters. According to a report, 630 km of roads were dug up before the monsoon, but only 176 km were resurfaced or layered with WMM (Wet Mix Macadam). In several colonies, roads that were laid just six months ago were dug up again for pipeline work — leaving residents deeply frustrated. Areas like Kamla Nehru Nagar on Ajmer Road, Saraswati Nagar and Akhil Nagar in Malviya Nagar, and colonies in Dhawas are among the worst affected. Many of these localities are now waterlogged or have dangerously unstable roads. In places like MI Road and New Sanganer Road, the roads have either collapsed or become flooded due to incomplete drainage work. Residents across the city are now openly questioning the Smart City project. "If departments keep shifting blame and leaving work half-done, who exactly is this city being made smart for?" asked one resident. As more rain is forecast, the city isn't just battling water, it's battling neglect, inefficiency, and broken promises.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Chhattisgarh HC terms exclusion of engineering graduates from Sub-Engineer posts 'arbitrary and discriminatory'
The Chhattisgarh High Court has struck down a rule barring engineering graduates from applying for Sub-Engineer positions in the Public Health Engineering Department, deeming it discriminatory and unconstitutional. The Chhattisgarh High Court has struck down a rule barring engineering graduates from applying for Sub-Engineer positions in the Public Health Engineering Department, deeming it discriminatory and unconstitutional. The Chhattisgarh High Court has struck down a rule barring engineering graduates from applying for Sub-Engineer positions in the Public Health Engineering Department, deeming it discriminatory and unconstitutional. The Chhattisgarh High Court has struck down a rule barring engineering graduates from applying for Sub-Engineer positions in the Public Health Engineering Department, deeming it discriminatory and unconstitutional. The Chhattisgarh High Court has struck down a rule barring engineering graduates from applying for Sub-Engineer positions in the Public Health Engineering Department, deeming it discriminatory and unconstitutional. 1 2 RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh High Court declared as "ultra vires" a rule that restricted engineering graduates from applying for Sub-Engineer posts in the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department. The court stated that Rule 8 (II) Column (5) of Schedule-III, Serial No. 1, of the Chhattisgarh Public Health Engineering Department (Non-Gazetted) (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2016, is "illegal and without jurisdiction." Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru delivered a common order on two writ petitions, filed by over two dozen individuals. The petitioners, holding graduate degrees in engineering, sought to participate in the direct recruitment examination for Sub-Engineer (Civil/Mechanical/Electrical) posts. The examination was scheduled for 27 April 2025, following an advertisement issued on 7 March 2025. The petitioners argued that the 2016 rules, which prescribed a three-year diploma as the only educational qualification for direct recruitment to Sub-Engineer posts, were discriminatory. They pointed out that for promotional quotas (5 per cent), both diploma and degree holders were eligible. They further highlighted that other state departments, such as the Public Works Department and CSPDCL, permitted both diploma and degree holders to apply for Sub-Engineer positions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Providers are furious: Internet access without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo The petitioners' counsels Ajay Shrivastava, G P Mathur and Pratibha Sahu contended that an engineering degree is a higher qualification than a diploma, and thus, degree holders should not be barred from applying. They cited the Supreme Court's judgement in the Puneet Sharma & Others v. Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited & Another case, which directed states to allow degree holders to participate in recruitment processes. The State, represented by the Deputy Advocate General, argued that the 2016 rules maintained the same qualification criteria as the earlier 1979 and 2012 rules. The State also submitted that the 5% promotion quota for in-service candidates, which includes diploma and degree holders, was a separate provision for existing employees who may have acquired higher qualifications during their service. The Chhattisgarh Professional Examination Board (CGPEB), the recruiting agency, stated that it acts based on existing rules and departmental requisitions. The intervenors supported the State's contentions. The High Court observed that excluding degree holders, who possess superior knowledge and technical skills, was unreasonable and counterproductive to recruiting competent individuals. The court noted that this restriction undermined principles of fairness and equal opportunity, violating Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India. 'The exclusion of degree holders, who possess the necessary knowledge and technical skills, from eligibility for the post is arbitrary, unreasonable, and counterproductive to the goal of recruiting competent individuals. It violates the principles of fairness, equal opportunity, and the fundamental rights under Articles 14, 16, and 21 of the Constitution. Notably, other state departments like Public Works and CSPDCL allow both Diploma and Degree holders for similar posts, making the exclusion in the Public Health and Engineering Department discriminatory,' the court stated. An interim order was issued on 25 March 2025, allowing degree holders to provisionally apply for the posts, subject to the final outcome of the petitions. The court clarified that this order would apply to all similarly situated candidates. Following the declaration of the rule as "ultra vires," the High Court has directed the respondent authorities to proceed with the selection process, ensuring that engineering degree holders are allowed to participate, provided they meet other prescribed criteria in the advertisement.
India Gazette
02-07-2025
- Climate
- India Gazette
Flood preparedness: Haryana CM Saini issues special instructions for Monsoon season
Chandigarh [India], July 2 (ANI): As North India is currently experiencing severe devastation due to ongoing heavy rain, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday directed officials to ensure robust drainage arrangements across the state, according to an official statememt. Saini reviewed preparations for water drainage with Deputy Commissioners from all districts, emphasising the need for complete preparedness to tackle potential flooding issues. He directed the concerned officials to collect data on pump sets available in the districts and ensure thorough cleaning of drains in all districts, particularly in areas prone to waterlogging like Gurugram, Faridabad, Ambala, and Kurukshetra, added the statement. The Chief Minister directed officials to verify the functionality of pump sets available with the Public Health Engineering Department and the Irrigation Department to facilitate efficient water drainage. CM Saini also reviewed the preparations made across the state for water drainage in view of the monsoon. Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, Chief Principal Secretary to CM Rajesh Khullar, Principal Secretary to CM Arun Kumar Gupta, Home Secretary Sumita Mishra, and other senior officials of various departments were present during the meeting. Saini also ensure prompt redressal of complaints related to water drainage to prevent waterlogging and flooding. Earlier, on June 29, 2025, and July 1, 2025, Haryana's Ambala and Charkhi Dadri had experienced issues of waterlogging after heavy rainfall, raising concerns about the authorities' preparedness ahead of the Monsoon season. Notably, several houses and roads have washed away due to a cloudburst and continuous heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh. At least 51 people have lost their lives and 22 others are missing in Himachal Pradesh as torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides continue to wreak havoc across the state during the ongoing monsoon season, according to the latest official data. Heavy monsoon rains have triggered widespread devastation in India's Himalayan states, particularly Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The relentless downpours have caused landslides, flash floods, and significant damage to infrastructure and buildings. In Himachal Pradesh, more than 700 roads and important highways have been closed due to landslides. Additionally, widespread waterlogging has been reported in Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a warning that heavy rain is expected to persist in the region until the weekend. India receives 80% of its annual rainfall during the monsoon season, which is crucial for agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. However, experts warn that climate change has made monsoon patterns more erratic, leading to increased frequency of flash floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events. (ANI)
