Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 235 Accompanying Lin Xue for a Walk

After the middle-aged man finished speaking, the villagers who were watching burst into laughter.

Zhang Ping's expression grew increasingly grim.

Lin Xue chimed in, "Fellow villager, this jingle is quite vivid."

"Build a road, lay a layer of sand," "Dig a ditch, crooked and twisted," isn't that just like what we see now?

"Officials only care about drinking?" In my opinion, they've drunk away their Party spirit, their principles, and the trust and hard-earned money of the people!

Lin Xue turned her gaze to Gan Simiao, Wu Zhiyuan, Zhang Ping, and the others, and emphasized, "You all heard that, right? The people have a scale in their hearts!"

Whether policies are good or bad, and whether officials are honest or corrupt, they see it most clearly and feel it most directly!

This little rhyme is the sharpest criticism and the most vivid portrait of our work!

Lin Xue paused for a moment, then continued, "High-standard farmland represents a significant investment from the government, reflecting the farmers' hopes for increased production and income."

However, in Xindian Town, it has become a piece of Tang Monk's flesh that is exploited layer by layer by some people!

This is a crime! A crime against the Party and the people!

"Today, I want to make a statement here: the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection will follow this matter to the end!"

The county and town discipline inspection commissions must take immediate action and establish a joint investigation team to start their investigation from this field, this road, and this canal!

Investigate the flow of funds, the quality of the project, the bidding process, and the integrity of officials! Get to the bottom of this!

If it is verified that anyone has embezzled, misappropriated, accepted bribes, or neglected their duties, regardless of who they are or what their background is, they will be dealt with seriously according to Party discipline and the law, without any leniency!

The villagers erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.

"Secretary Lin, well done!"

"They should investigate! Investigate them thoroughly!"

"Bring out those parasites who leech off the people's blood!"

……

Wu Zhiyuan stepped forward and said loudly to the villagers, "Fellow villagers, everyone heard what Secretary Lin said!"

Please trust the Party Committee and the government, and trust the Discipline Inspection Commission!

We will definitely investigate the matter thoroughly and give everyone an explanation!

Starting today, the town will set up a special complaint box and hotline. Everyone can report any clues they have.

Meanwhile, all construction projects in this area must be immediately halted, pending re-inspection and evaluation by a professional organization!

Anything that doesn't meet the standards must be scrapped and rebuilt! Whoever is responsible will bear the consequences!

The villagers applauded and cheered.

Lin Xue and her group visited another place before taking a bus back to the county town.

She will stay overnight in the county town, then go to another township tomorrow morning and return in the afternoon.

Wu Zhiyuan, as Lin Xue's former subordinate and also as a county leader, returned to the county town to have a meal with Lin Xue.

He even made a point of getting into Lin Xue's car.

"Zhiyuan, the construction of high-standard farmland is a serious matter with a terrible impact."

The government has invested a lot of money, but the people say it's a waste of resources and manpower. In my opinion, that's indeed the case!

You've worked in the Discipline Inspection Commission, so you naturally know that many of the country's engineering projects have become easy targets for corrupt officials!

How many people have lined their pockets with just one engineering project!

The common people see it best: their curses are just empty rhymes, but deep down they harbor real resentment.

Wu Zhiyuan echoed, "Secretary Lin, you're right. Today, seeing those shoddy construction projects and hearing what the villagers said, my heart felt like it was being pricked by needles."

The country has invested so much and the policies are so good, but they have been distorted and lost their true meaning at the local level.

Money is not spent where it should be spent, and effort is not exerted where it should be exerted. In the end, it is the country that suffers and the people who are disheartened.

This is not only an economic loss, but also a serious erosion of the credibility of the Party and the government.

Lin Xue nodded slightly: "Zhiyuan, the field of engineering construction has always been a hotbed of corruption, and it is also a key area for our supervision and discipline enforcement."

From project initiation to acceptance, the process is lengthy, involves many steps, and requires a high level of expertise, making supervision difficult. This creates opportunities for some individuals to manipulate the process.

Have you ever wondered why the high-standard farmland in Xindian Town ended up like this? Is it simply because the construction company cut corners?

After a moment's thought, Wu Zhiyuan said, "Based on the information we have so far, the qualifications of the construction company, Yonggu Construction, are questionable, and there may be something fishy going on in the bidding process."

Because at that time, the bidding process was not followed; instead, a competitive negotiation process was used.

After Yonggu won the bid, it subcontracted some sections to several small local construction teams.

This is very likely a systemic, chain-like corruption.

"Yes, it's systemic. I've been working in discipline inspection for a long time and have handled many cases. I'm very familiar with the shady dealings involved."

During the project approval process, the amount of work was inflated to raise the budget;

In the bidding process, exclusive clauses are set, creating a "radish tender" or bid rigging to allow specific individuals to win the bid;

During the construction phase, all sorts of tricks were employed: cutting corners, using inferior materials, falsifying progress reports, and issuing false invoices...

As for the acceptance process, as long as the people who need to be bribed are taken care of, and the authorities turn a blind eye or even help fabricate documents, a substandard project can be transformed into a high-quality one.

The nation's money thus flowed into private pockets through seemingly compliant channels.

In the end, all we got was a pile of shoddy tofu that couldn't withstand the test of time.

Lin Xue then gave a case: "A few years ago, I handled a case where the province invested several billion yuan to build a pumped storage power station, which was said to be able to withstand a flood that occurs once every two hundred years."

Before the project was completed, a conscientious person within the company reported it, and an investigation revealed it to be an outright shoddy construction project.

The anchor piles, which are the core of the dam abutment reinforcement, are required to be twelve meters long, but in actual construction they are only three to five meters long, and some are even less than two meters long.

In addition, there are a host of other problems. The project supervision team frequently accepts banquets and paid companionship from the construction team.

In the end, a large number of people were arrested, but the country suffered huge losses!

"The standard of a once-in-two-hundred-year event has turned into a piece of tofu that can't even withstand ordinary wind and rain," Wu Zhiyuan murmured. "This is not only a waste of national funds, but also a joke at the expense of the lives and property of the people!"

If something goes wrong on such a project, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"Yes, corruption in the engineering and construction sector is very harmful."

It devours not only money, but also the bottom line of safety and the hearts and minds of the people.

The high-standard farmland in Xindian Town, while not as vital as a dam or power station, is directly related to farmers' harvests and livelihoods, and to the foundation of national food security. Therefore, it cannot be treated carelessly or corruptly!

"Secretary Lin, I will contact the county discipline inspection commission and ask them to open an investigation."

County Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Lang Wenping is also your former subordinate. Communication with him is smooth, and I believe he will handle the matter impartially. The town party committee and the town discipline inspection commission will fully cooperate.

Lin Xue nodded and said, "Comrade Wenping is principled and skilled in his work. With him taking the lead, I can rest assured about the county discipline inspection commission."

Dinner was held in the county government canteen, a normal work reception, without serving alcohol.

After a simple meal, Wu Zhiyuan suggested, "Secretary Lin, would you like to take a walk around the city?"

Qingshan County may be small, but it's beautiful. Most importantly, you can feel the warmth and life in the town.

Lin Xue readily agreed: "Sure, let's take a walk to digest our food."

Everyone else knew that Wu Zhiyuan was Lin Xue's former subordinate, so they wisely refrained from offering to accompany him.