Noida authority junior engineer sacked, managers suspended over corruption charges

The Noida authority chief executive officer Lokesh M has recommended the suspension of a senior manager and a manager to the Uttar Pradesh industry department, besides terminating the services of a contractual junior engineer, for allegedly making payments to an agency that did not even execute any work on the ground, authority officials said on Thursday.

The action came a week after the CEO, during a site inspection, came across the inflated estimates, excessive fund releases and lapses in project execution on the ground.

Lokesh M also terminated the services of a junior engineer who was hired on a contractual basis for allegedly preparing inflated estimates and getting unwarranted funds released for the work that was not done at the site, said officials.

Lokesh M also recommended the suspension of manager and senior manager of the electrical mechanical division-I for their roles in the irregularities and for colluding together to withdraw money using fabricated documents.

“The authority has sent a detailed report about the matter to the state government for appropriate action as per the service rules,” said Vijay Rawal, deputy general manager, civil works department, Noida authority.

The additional chief executive officer Sanjay Kumar Khatri found the irregularities during a site inspection on November 22 to check the electrical works along the parallel road from Sector 142 to Sector 144.

The additional CEO found crucial lapses such as missing layout plans and other relevant documents from the project estimates and contractual agreements. There was also no on-site storage facility as required under the contract terms.

“The findings also highlighted inflated material quantities, particularly cables, far exceeding the actual requirements. At the time of the inspection, only 40% of the work was completed, but 45% of the payments had already been disbursed, leading to concerns about financial oversight,” said Rawal.

Apart from that, Noida authority on Thursday took action against officials overseeing the construction of the approach road to an under-construction bridge over river Hindon, connecting the service road parallel to the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway with Greater Noida.

This bridge project, being constructed in partnership by Noida and Greater Noida authorities, aims to improve connectivity to key locations such as LG Chowk, Gautam Budh Nagar Collectorate, Surajpur, and Ghaziabad, while also enhancing access to industrial sectors in Noida.

The inspection of this project on Thursday revealed several deficiencies, including stalled work, honeycombing in the retaining wall, misalignment, and uneven shuttering. The approach road project is 32% complete and is targeted for completion by August 2025.

The work has been officially halted due to compliance with Stage-4 of the graded response action plan to regulate pollution. But the site’s condition suggested that construction had been stalled there for a prolonged period. Key observations included the absence of machinery and construction materials on-site.

The CEO issued a show-cause notice to DGM (civil) and ordered adverse remarks to be recorded in the service file of the senior manager overseeing work circle 10. And CEO also directed that the salaries of the manager and junior engineer be withheld.