Medigadda: Irrigation Dept. in Quandary After Company Questions Certificate Cancellation

Hyderabad: A stalemate appears to be on the cards on whether the construction, and mandatory maintenance for two years of Medigadda barrage by the construction agency, with the company informing the irrigation department that the decision to cancel the completion certificate issued to it was arbitrary and not in tune with the terms of the agreement.

Sources in the department said that the contracting agency L&T-PES JV, has responded to its September 18 letter cancelling the completion certificate issued to the agency. In its reply to the cancellation and surrender of the certificate order from the department, the agency informed that everything that was asked to be done by it was completed as per terms of the contract and that there were no violations of the terms of agreement, the sources added.

It may be recalled that on September 18, the department informed L&T-PES JV that the completion certificate given by its officials was issued “illegally” and that it was not issued “in accordance with the terms and conditions of agreement.” The letter also said the company should surrender the completion certificate dated March 15, 2021.

Any further steps on this matter were likely only after the Judicial Commission headed by Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose on Medigadda barrage construction completes its inquiry and submits its report, since the issue of completion certificate too is part of the probe, and the government is likely to take any decision based on the findings, it is learnt.

The certificate was issued to the company by irrigation department officials on March 15, 2021, coming into effect from June 29, 2020 after confirming that all works of the barrage were completed following the June 21, 2019 inauguration of the barrage. While the company questioned the cancellation, the department sources said that the certificate cancellation, indicating that the last on the subject has not been heard yet.