Sopore, July 30, KNT: In a move that has raised eyebrows and sparked outrage, the Municipal Council Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district has allegedly allowed a contractor to collect toll tax at toll posts without conducting a mandatory auction. The decision has been criticized as a blatant violation of rules and a potential loss of revenue for the local government.
Reliable sources told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that a contractor was granted permission to operate the toll posts for a period of two years and his contract ended on 14 July 2024. The Municipal Council needed to invite tenders shortly after the expiry of the contract.
“It’s not like the Municipal Council didn’t go for auction but it kept the starting bid more than was expected and accordingly majority of the government-approved contractors boycotted the auction process. The Municipal Council was left with no option but to quash the auction,” said an insider on the condition of anonymity.
The irony is that without following proper procedure, the Municipal Council Sopore allowed the former contractor to collect the toll tax without deploying their staff.
There are multiple toll posts in Sopore owned by the Municipal Council. There are toll posts in Amargarh, Badambagh, Jalal Abad, Tarzoo, Model Town and so on.
Chief Executive Officer, Municipal Council Sopore told KNT that they have already deployed their staff and they are going to conduct an auction on 31 July, tomorrow.
One of the concerned locals said that since 14 July the revenue that is being generated through toll taxes is being collected by a private contractor. “If the Municipal Council claims that it has deployed its own staff on toll posts and collecting toll taxes, then how come I was handed over a receipt belonging to a private contractor? This happened on 27 July,” he said adding that since the expiry of the contract on 14 July till the new action is made, the Municipal Council Sopore is bound to inform people how much revenue was generated, who collected it, and where it went.
“The Municipal Council has failed to protect the interests of the people and has instead prioritized the interests of a select few. We are curious to know about the revenue collection as it has to be used for the welfare of the Sopore inhabitants.”
An investigation into the matter has been demanded by the respectable citizens. [KNT]
