VIJAYAWADA: The government officials in the ministry of urban development have moved a file suggesting departmental inquiry, instead of a Cabinet decision for prosecuting the officials In a scam worth Rs 82195.14 in Vijayawada Municipal Corporation regarding infrastructure works.
The state Cabinet, under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu identified the violations involved in 127 packages (works) sanctioned under Urban Infrastructure and Governance and Basic Services for Urban Poor of the JNNURM.
This is nothing but dilution of the Cabinet decision and a deliberate attempt to escape from the clutches of the law, revealed highly placed sources in the ministry of municipal administration and urban development.
In fact, the Cabinet strictly instructed to prosecute each and every officer involved in the scam. The government also clearly stated in the GO No. RT 624 of 2015 that the officers involved in the violations should be prosecuted.
But those who were involved in the scam have been elevated to higher positions in the government. They started managing things to suit their whims and fancies.
But on the other hand, Mr. Ramesh Babu, OSD to municipal administration and urban development, denied that there was any such proposal regarding the file.
Detailed report of violations by staff submitted to government by agency
The VMC officials split the sanctioned 27 projects into 127 small packages, according to a report submitted by an independent review and monitoring agency (IRMA), Mukesh and Associates.
Thereby the officials in lower rank allowed the works without following due procedure for the major works.
The Mukesh and Associates agency submitted a detailed report on the violations to the state government. Based on this report the Cabinet decided to prosecute the officers involved in the scam.
The Mukesh and Associates submitted details regarding procurement methodology adopted by the VMC for entrusting the contracts for the project sanctioned under UIG of JNNURM.
As per the report, the tenders costing more than Rs 2 crore to Rs 10 crores were approved by the executive authority of the VMC instead of placing them before the commissioner of tenders and EPC system was not followed for the works costing more than Rs 10.00 crores and the sanctioned projects were split into 127 packages.
The government sanctioned 19 projects under urban infrastructure and governance and eight projects under basic services for urban poor. The total amount under both UIG and BSUP is Rs 82195.14 lakh. Out of them, 65 packages under UIG amounting to Rs 38267.50 lakh and 62 packages under BSUP amounting to Rs 43927.64 lakh were released.
The works include construction of houses (G+3), providing BT roads, model community hall, formation of roads, relation wall, outfall drain, footpaths, 6 lane Ryves canal, 2/4 lane bridge across Eluru canal, Budameru rivulet, providing sewer line collection networks, drai-nage and water works.
