Contractors united against PWD Engineer, demand investigation

Contractors in Chandigarh have united against Ritesh Kumar, a junior engineer in the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Chandigarh Administration. They demand a thorough investigation by the Vigilance Department into Kumar’s property, as well as the works and bills executed under his supervision in the PWD. The contractors registered a complaint at the Sector-9 office of the Vigilance Department in Chandigarh and staged a demonstration outside the Chandigarh Administration office.

According to the contractors’ complaint, Junior Engineer Ritesh Kumar consistently withholds bills, leaving many contractors unpaid for over two years. They allege that Kumar has amassed substantial wealth in just eight years, prompting a call for a comprehensive investigation. The complaint suggests there are numerous irregularities involving the junior engineer that would come to light with a thorough investigation. Anil, one of the contractors, claimed that his bills were also overdue for an extended period.

Amit Kumar, the main complainant, asserted that Junior Engineer Ritesh Kumar joined the Chandigarh PW Department only eight years ago. During his tenure, contractors working in PWD encountered numerous issues. Amit claimed to have informed the head of the department verbally on several occasions, but no corrective actions were taken against Kumar. Many contractors are allegedly facing delays in their bills for up to two years, encountering obstruction whenever they attempt to pass their bills.

Amit Kumar shared an incident where Ritesh Kumar was reprimanded by the police, leading to the return of construction materials. After filing a complaint with the SSP, Amit was called to Sector-36 police station, where the investigating officer summoned JE Ritesh Kumar and demanded the return of materials. Ritesh complied by returning some shuttering materials used for construction from his residence in Mohali. Amit emphasized that the issue extended beyond his personal experience, affecting all contractors dealing with JE Ritesh Kumar. Contractors Anil, Shivchandra, Mohammad Usman, Salauddin, among others, were present during the demonstration. In response, Junior Engineer Ritesh Kumar denied the allegations, asserting that they lack any foundation.