Probe digs out graft in Mission Kakatiya

Hyderabad: A detailed probe by the vigilance and enforcement department on substandard work at 26 randomly selected water tanks under Mission Kakatiya, unearthed many irregularities. Disciplinary action has been recommended agai-nst contractors and irrigation department officials. Vigilance also asked the state government to recover Rs 1.7 crore from contractors in connection with alleged misappropriation of funds alloted for these tanks and also blacklist 22 contractors and take action against 12 officials of the irrigation department including executive engineers.

It is now feared that if all the tanks that were restored in Mission Kak-atiya works across the state are checked for ir-regularities the amount siphoned may be huge. The vigilance and enforcement department found that two ISO certified labs in Hanamkonda and Hyderabad erred during its sting operation, where they issued test certificates to officials posing as contractors without actually testing at the site.

“Vigilance officials approached Suraj Associ-ations Survey and Engin-eering Labs at Hanam-konda as contractors for Banothu Cheruvu in China Vangara village of Thorrur mandal. Suraj Associates furnished the test results the very next day without collecting samples and conducting any tests,” a sources aid. “It was found that quality control test results were being issued by Lotus Engineers in Hanamkonda, without conducting tests,” the report said. The vigilance department has recommended that a criminal case be filed against Suraj Associates and Lotus Engineers. They also recommended in writing to concerned authorities for cancellation of the ISO certificate.

It was found that payments were made without checking the measurements of the superintending engineer and work was executed without the approval of designs and drawings by the concerned authorities. Field registers were not maintained and executive engineers awarded many works to the agencies other than those who have quoted lesser tender premium than the awarded. In a tank at Kurvi mandal, for instance, bills claimed for 960 metres but actually they worked only for 300 metres.

Some works done for the National Food for Work Programme were shown as Mission Kakatiya. In another instance at Nallacheruvu in Rangapur in Kodkandala mandal, villagers said that they cleared the jungle and silt in the feeder channel by their contributions. Action has been recommended against executive engineers L.Y. Ratnam, P. Ram Sreenivas Rao, deputy executive engineer T. Prashanth Kumar, B. Venkanna Y. Goverdhan Reddy, assistant engineers A. Ravi, G. Gopal, K. Giridhar P. Ramesh, J. Kishan Naik, K. Nareen, S. Surya Prakash and P. Ravikanth.

All income certificates not verified:

The vigilance and enforcement department has found fault with the welfare department for not verifying the income certificates issued by revenue officials required for scholarships granted to ineligible students. Fee re-imbursement and post-matric scholarships are being sanctioned based on the income certification produced at the time of admission — for all years of a course — without insisting on the income certificate for every year.

“Welfare department officials while submitting the verification report are not able to verify the actual annual income of the parent. They are depending on income certificate issued by Tahsildar. There is a likelihood of sanction of scholarship to ineligible students. It is also causing huge loss to the government exchequer,” revealed the report.

The vigilance probe revealed that welfare departments have not inspected and checked the attendance of students in colleges. Vigilance officials have recommended that the education department ensure college authorities adopt a biometric system of attendance for students and also faculty.