No irregularity in award of road contracts: CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami

Salem: Reiterating there was no irregularity in awarding Highways contracts under the AIADMK regime, Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday termed the DMK leader M K Stalin's tirade against him on this issue as "uttering one lie after another" to topple the government.

"The process of awarding tenders under our government is online and transparent; there is no loss to the state exchequer or any favours shown to anybody. If Mr Stalin keeps on repeating these charges, he is not fit to sIt in the Opposition benches, nor qualified to call himself leader of the Opposition," Palaniswami said, hitting back hard at the DMK leader in no unambiguous terms.

The Chief Minister, who was in Salem to participate in some functions, took several questions from reporters, particularly on Mr. Stalin deriding the AIADMK government in the wake of the High Court directing a CBI probe into the awarding of some Highways department contracts, allegedly to members of his family.

In a longish response, Mr. Palaniswami said the impugned firm that Stalin had been referring to, had been given contracts under the previous DMK rule too. "As we go back and see the old files, it is in fact one irregularity after another committed by them in awarding contracts that is surfacing," the Chief Minister said, adding, the contracts awarded under his regime now do not come under the purview of close blood relatives. "The facts show how ignorant Mr Stalin is."

The Chief Minister also ticked off the DMK MP, Alandur S Bharathi who has been making charges and moving courts, saying the latter has not done his homework on the issue, particularly on costing. Referring to Bharathi's contention that to build one-km of a four-lane road by the Highways department would be possible at a cost estimate of '2.20 crore, Mr. Palaniswami asked how that rate could be realistic or reflective of the higher cost of construction materials now.  

For example, Mr. Palaniswami pointed out that when the DMK's former Minister at the Centre, Thiru. T.R. Baalu was the Union Surface Transport minister, in the Salem-Kumarapalayam stretch, National Highways contract had been given at the rate of '8.78 crore per km for a four-lane highway in the year 2006. For various road projects, the average cost of tender per km ranged from '7.52 crore to '12.42 crore, the Chief Minister pointed out, citing past records. The present NHAI tender amounts for highway contracts in Tamil Nadu ranged from '11.22 core per km to 25.78 crore per km, going by the rates at which tenders had been given. "On the contrary, the State government has awarded highways contract at '10.16 crore per km," Mr Palaniswami said and asked how the AIADMK government could now be accused of cost-padding or inflating the contract amount, just to level baseless graft charges in Highways department contracts.

Mr. Palaniswami said with e-tendering process on in Tamil Nadu, "we do not even know who is quoting what till the password is given at the time of opening the final bids." 'It is out of political animosity and to defame our government the DMK has been repeating these charges and he cannot topple our government with this (corruption) weapon," he added. He also rejected Mr. Stalin's charge that AIADMK was a "circus with the ring master in Delhi," as a misperception. "Even to run a circus, you need talent and efficiency," he quipped.

Declining to comment on the Supreme court verdict on the Sabarimala temple issue, allowing women of all ages to worship at the shrine, Mr. Palaniswami said to another query, that the concerned minister and officials would invite the JACTTO-GEO representatives to discuss their charter of demands.