VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, May 12: The money laundering probe against Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Pooja Singhal and her husband Abhishek Jha has brought problems for many small-time vendors who have not been paid their substantial amount for works done by them during the construction of the Pulse Hospital in Ranchi.
The pending bills of such vendors run into crores.
There are as many as five such vendors who are worried about their payment as the Enforcement Directorate has arrested Pooja Singhal whereas her husband may also be arrested.
“Now this is going to be a money loan ring case. The ED will confiscate the entire property as proceeds of crime. Who will pay my money? My bill runs into lakhs of rupees. I rendered my service during construction of this hospital. They paid only a part of the amount. I spoke to one of my lawyer friends. He said that nothing can be done at this stage,” said one of the vendors.
Abhinandan Singh of Ranchi is one of the vendors whose substantial amount is on the stake.
“I did all the work related to interior designing and decorations. They have to pay me Rs 90 lakh. I had borrowed money from the market. Pooja Singhal and Abhishek Jha jointly manage the hospital and its administration. In 2020 when the work was completed by me she asked me to submit the bill. But they did not pay me even a single paisa. When I visit the hospital to meet them to get the payment, security guards stop us. They have been instructed not to allow any vendor inside the hospital,” said Abhinandan Singh.
He said that the day raids were carried out against Pooja Singhal and others he gave a petition to Ranchi SSP Surendra Kumar Jha that the Pulse Hospital has to pay him his dues.
“I don’t know whether giving a petition to the police will serve any purpose but sooner or later I will file a recovery suit against Abhishek Jha and the company,” he said.
Delhi-based Subodh Yadav is another vendor who had done gas pipeline works for the hospital.
“The Hospital has to pay me around Rs 25 lakh. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I completed oxygen pipeline work. But after the work was completed they threw me out,” said Subodh Yadav.
“Dono hi dadagiri karte hai paise nahin dete. Khud to gaye hamara bhi paisa dooba,” he said.
Delhi-based vendor Ashwin Ganju had commissioned a centralized and localized AC system at the hospital. His payment worth Rs 25 lakh is due.
Another contractor said that they want the Enforcement Directorate to safeguard vendors like them.
“We will be ruined if the payment is not given. It has already been more than one and half years since Pooja Singhal and her husband withheld our payment. We had never imagined that we will be trapped this way. Who can force them to pay my money? I borrowed from the market,” said the contractor.
