Patna Municipal Corporation official questions CFL installation work

PATNA: The Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) installation in street lights across the city by Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) seems to have gone awry. A finance and accounts official of the corporation, in his official letter (available on PMC website) dated January 2, 2014, to PMC executive officers of all circles, has stated there is neither any data regarding the total number of street lights, both functional or non-functional, nor any information has been submitted by the executive officials stating which street light has received new CFL under the scheme.
The official, Pramod Kumar Singh, has stated, "The PMC has no data ... (about) total number of street lights in the city, let alone about functional and dysfunctional street lights. Before allocating the fund to each ward, it was not specified which street light needs repair or how many of them will be repaired. Also, before allocating the task of installing CFLs in the street lights to the PMC officials, it was not specified where they are supposed to install the CFL. They were not given any list of street lights."
Singh wondered on what basis the officials were assigned the task of installing CFLs? He added, "Before assigning any task to junior officials, it is necessary to specify the work."
Instead of outsourcing the task of installing 3,600 CFLs worth Rs 73.80 lakh to any reputed firm, the work was allotted to officials. "No list was submitted to the municipal commissioner regarding the street lights that needed CFL ..., so on what basis the junior officials selected the street light that needed new CFLs?" Singh asked.
When contacted, PMC additional commissioner (in charge), revenue and sanitation, Shashank Shekhar Sinha, said, "I am not aware whether we have received any data related to CFL schemes as it has not yet reached me. But, I think each ward office has that as all the ward councillors were asked to submit details where the street lights needed repair."
Fund allocation for street lights
The PMC had allotted around Rs 1.49 crore under the head of street lights on March 19, 2012. On March 28, 2012, the empowered standing committee of PMC passed a proposal for installation of 50 CFL bulbs in street lights under each PMC ward and Rs 73.80 lakh was allocated to PMC circles - New Capital circle (north), New Capital circle (south), Bankipore circle, Kankarbagh circle and Patna City circle - for the purpose.
Of Rs 73.80 lakh, a sum of Rs 19.47 lakh had been allocated to 19 wards of New Capital circle (north), Rs 10.25 lakh to 10 wards of New Capital circle (NCC) (south), Rs 12.30 lakh to 12 wards under Bankipore circle, Rs 11.27 lakh to 11 wards of Kankarbagh circle and Rs 20.50 lakh to 20 wards under Patna City circle on April 13, 2012. Apart from it, during Ramzan in 2012, a sum of Rs 50,000 each totalling Rs 2.50 lakh was allocated to five divisions of PMC on July 20, 2012, to light up the areas near mosques under each ward.