Engineers remanded to custody

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. Aug. 12: Eight persons, including a serving chief engineer and two former superintendent engineers, have been imprisoned in connection with causing a loss of Rs 14 lakhs to the State exchequer by sanctioning 8216;illegal8217; claims totalling Rs 14.2 lakhs in the Kallada Irrigation project. It is said that they had sanctioned the claims to a private contractor for removal of soil during 1987-90. The accused have been given varying terms of imprisonment.