Indian
Express: Vadodara: Saturday, 18 October 2014.
Alleging that
it was a scam, Vadodara Congress corporator Chinnam Gandhi has demanded a
Central Vigilance inquiry into the housing board projects under the
Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana in the city. Gandhi, armed with official replies
received from the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) under the Right to
Information Act (RTI) Act, on Friday
announced his decision to move the High Court to demand CBI probe into the
alleged scam of up to Rs 200 crore in
the housing projects for Low Income Group (LIG) and Economically Weaker
Sections (EWS). Gandhi lashed out at the VMC for “siphoning off” funds to the
tune of Rs 135 crore for 12 projects by exaggerating costs of construction
against prevailing market rates.
Gandhi said
that having sought information under the RTI, he had received information
regarding the construction of 14 housing projects, including 10 projects for
the LIG housing scheme. According to Gandhi, the official reply received from
the VMC stated that the cost of construction incurred per square metre for LIG
housing projects was Rs 19,500, and an additional 7% contingency charge.
Thus, the
bids received from contractors range from Rs 20,000 to Rs 21,000 per square
meter. Similarly, for the EWS housing schemes, the bids for construction range
from Rs 19,500 to Rs 20,000 per square metre. Gandhi says, “When we checked the
ongoing market rates for constructions, it turned out to be Rs 14,000 per sq
metre. This clearly reflects a shady deal of at least Rs 135 crore for only 10
projects. It is a clear case of open corruption in the housing schemes for
which an independent and unbiased CBI and CVC inquiry should be initiated
against the ruling party and the executive wing of the corporation.”
Gandhi said
that it was “amusing” that the rates for construction for LIG and EWS housing
schemes per square metre vary up to Rs 2,000. He said, “Are they trying to tell
us that the material used for construction of EWS housing schemes is
substandard and they will meet the same fate as Madhavnagar colony in Atladara?
How can there be so much difference in the calculated cost of construction if
that is the price for it?”
Gandhi said
that the corporation had admitted that the estimated cost of Rs 19,500 per sq
metre of construction did not include the additional overhead costs of electric
fittings and other important works, but reflected the cost of construction
alone.
“It is clear
that there is a big scam in the name of housing. I am moving the High Court
with a petition based on the documents I have received under the RTI. The
Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana in Vadodara is nothing but a cloak for scam worth
hundreds of crores of rupees, even after which, poor people are left homeless,
like in Madhavnagar,” Gandhi said.
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