Balasore, Feb 27(Odisha.in) Have you ever heard floating of tender papers for a government or non-government project after execution of the particular work? This is what Balasore Municipality has done.
Sources said, the municipality has issued a tender call notice in a Monday newspaper for the construction or repair of 47 road projects that fall under its jurisdiction.
But what has raised many eyebrows is that at least seven roads, for which tenders have been called with a work estimate worth around Rs 33 lakhs, have already been either repaired or constructed.
The roads included, Neliabag road from Chidiapolo to Ranipatana Chhack, Municipality gate to Badapola chhack, Bhujakhia Pira to Digrohania, Zilla School road to Nilam Motors, Proof road to jail road, Jhadeswar temple Chhack to Ranipatana Chhack and Nayabazar road from Veena Hotel to Railway crossing.
“Calling of tenders for the executed projects is illegal. The municipality authorities have done this only to siphon off public money,” alleged Pradip Kumar Pati, district president of Bharatiya Janata Yuba Morcha (BJYM).
“It is not for the first time that they are trying to pocket the amount, several times earlier too they have executed work without calling any tenders,” he claimed and said the vigilance department also has been informed about the matter.
Leveling gross irregularities against the Chairman of the municipality, he said that the flood damage repair (FDR) fund worth around Rs 2.5 crore was given for 49 road projects (as per the document received through RTI act).
“But in the notice, tenders for 47 roads have been called including the seven executed projects. And only to get scopes for corruption, in the notice it has been mentioned that only Municiplaity contactors can participate in the bids while as per rules other contractors having requisite license and experience should be allowed,” Pati informed.
“Before, the municipality was executing works without the tenders and this way the civic body chief was pocketing huge amount of percentage. But only after our allegation to the urban development (UD) minister, for the first time tender has been floated and that is too not above the corruption,” the BJYM president charged.
Sources said, the tenders were called following a communication to the Municipality executive officer that no work can be executed without open tenders after 31 March 2007. “The UD department also has asked the collector to report on the projects which have been executed after this period but without tender,” it said.
Contacted, Municipality Chairman Anup Das denied all the allegations. He however admitted that tenders have been called for some works which have already been completed or under the verge of completion.
“Earlier there was no government instruction for open tenders. So we used to give work-orders to our contractors.
But before the official communication reach us we had already awarded them for some projects. That is why we have mentioned only for municipality contractors for which they can get back their money spent,” he clarified.
Odisha.in