Times
of India: Mumbai: Friday, 02 October 2015.
Virtually
every irrigation project approved in the past decade seems to be riddled with
irregularities as more dirt emerges in the mega dam scam. The latest
revelations pertain to the Purna Barrage-2 project (Nerdhamna) in Akola
district. Its cost unexpectedly increased from Rs 182 crore to Rs 525 crore
between 2009 and 2011.
Documents
procured by the Nagpur-based NGO Jan Manch under the Right to Information Act
show the project was approved, tender process initiated and advance money
hurriedly sanctioned to the contractor. The proposal to sanction a mobilization
advance of Rs 28 crore to the contractor travelled across four districts and
was approved within three days. The Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation
(VIDC) pushed the project through despite knowing the barrage's design was
still tentative.
The chief
engineer, Amravati, had requested WAPCOS, a public sector consultant under the
Union water resources ministry, to design the barrage as the state central
design organization had no experience to design such a huge structure on black
cotton soil. "Instead of waiting for the design, VIDC officials, allegedly
under political pressure, floated and awarded the tender to a joint venture
company, SMS Infrastructure-D Thakkar Constructions," said official
sources. SMS Infrastructure is owned by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Sancheti.
In 2011,
WAPCOS finally submitted the design two years after the tender was awarded and
work on the project was already 40% complete. In August 2011, the executive
engineer, Akola irrigation division, informed the contractor that the project
cost had now shot up to Rs 521.5 crore because of the new design. "Since
30% to 40% work is completed as compared to revised cost, you are requested to
accelerate and submit the work programme by increasing machinery, manpower and
raw material at site so as to complete the work at the earliest," said the
letter to the contractor.
But when the
contractor demanded payment for the excess work, the executive engineer wrote
back that he had still to take sanction for the excess work from the VIDC
headquarters in Nagpur. "This is illegal. How can a new design at inflated
cost be allowed without the approval of VIDC?" said sources.
Soon after
the tender was awarded in 2009, VIDC quickly sanctioned a mobilization advance
to the contractor. The tender document had no provision for sanctioning such
advance money. However, a subsequent government resolution said it was
releasing the advance payment because the contractor had asked for it.
Official
documents show the proposal file to release money to the contractor travelled
swiftly across four districts within just three days. The file moved from the
division and circle office in Akola to the chief engineer's office in Amravati,
from where it was sent to the VIDC headquarters in Nagpur. From Nagpur, the
file reached Mantralaya in Mumbai, where the then water resources minister Ajit
Pawar gave the final nod. The entire process was completed between March 24-26,
2009.
Documents
also show that none of the three bidders "qualified" to execute the
work. Tender conditions stipulated past five years' experience of various
construction activities. However, a contractor produced undated certificates of
experience. "It was found the certificate of work of the winning bidder
was completed in 1999," said Jan Manch. RTI documents also show that two
of the three bidders were associates in concerns with common directors. The NGO
alleged that many of the certificates are also forged.
Jan Manch
said it asked the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) to investigate the project,
along with several others. But top ACB officials said they will require the permission
of the state government, especially since BJP heavyweights are involved.
.JPG)
.JPG)
