Srinagar, Aug 25, KDC: The outsourcing of Pahalgam’s Betab Valley has come under the scanner for alleged violations in the allotment of contracts under an e-auction.
A formal complaint has been lodged with the Crime Branch Kashmir and other relevant authorities, including the Director of Tourism, Kashmir, alleging serious violations in the allotment of contracts under the e-auction notice (NIT No. 03/PDA/GeM of 2024) issued on March 7, 2024, by the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA).
According to the complaint, a copy of which lies with news agency Kashmir Dot Com (KDC), the contract was allotted to a defaulter in violation of Term No. 43 of the NIT, despite the individual being declared ineligible by the Tehsildar Recovery on an application filed by the PDA Chief Executive Officer, vide order No. 1354/STR/2019 dated January 20, 2020.
“Joint ventures, government employees, defaulters, blacklisted contractors, and public sector undertaking employees are not allowed to participate in the e-bidding process,” reads point 43 of the NIT issued by the PDA.
The complainant alleged that some local PDA officials—who have not been transferred for decades—intentionally facilitated the allotment of the contract to the firm/person despite knowing the entity was a defaulter and ineligible to participate in the bidding process.
“This negligence of PDA will have serious ramifications over the financial position of the authority and directly impact the development of the Pahalgam area,” the complaint reads.
It further alleged that such actions endanger the development of the tourist spot, cause losses to the government exchequer, and may result in irreparable damage to society at large.
The complainant has urged authorities to put the contract in abeyance, initiate action against “blue-eyed” officials involved in the alleged violations, and hold them accountable for facilitating the allotment of contracts to defaulters.
Sources privy to the allotment and outsourcing of Betab Valley claimed that the allottee has also been allowed to operate certain activities without permission.
Pahalgam’s Betab Valley is among the most visited and highly paid tourist attractions, with entry tickets costing ₹100 per person. In addition, visitors are charged ₹300 for a zipline ride, ₹300 per person for cycling, and separate amounts for other adventure activities. (KDC)
