Govt soft-pedals Kerala probe

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 21: The probe into the allegations of massive irregularities related to Karappuzha Irrigation project during the pr...

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 21: The probe into the allegations of massive irregularities related to Karappuzha Irrigation project during the previous UDF rule and the initial days of the current LDF Government, has turned out to be a non-starter with the Government and the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau citing technical reasons for delay in booking the influential contractor.

Last year, a Vigilance team inspected the project site and seized several incriminating documents and fake bills. However, no FIR was registered against the contractor or the Irrigation Department officials and the political leaders who functioned hand-in-glove to swindle public money to the tune of crores of rupees. Despite the LDF Government8217;s high volt campaign against corruption, the project was bestowed with special status and Rs 5 crore was released to the same contractor against whom serious allegations of corruption had been raised.

When the Vigilance team implicated Kunjumahin Haji in the Kuriarkutty-Karappara Irrigationproject corruption case, the then Irrigation Minister Baby John announced at a press conference that steps had already been taken to blacklist the contractor. But nothing has happened since then. Moreover, the same contractor was awarded a multi-crore project by the Kerala State Electricity Board.

However, the director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau R S Mooshahari told ENS that the delay in registering the case was natural as the inquiry required the assistance of technical personnel. The post of civil engineer in the Vigilance Bureau has been lying vacant for the last three months.

8220;We have been given a free hand in the investigation and there is no pressure or intervention from the Government8221;, he added.

The 1997 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India cited the following irregularities related to Karappuzha Irrigation Project.

Ten works estimated to cost Rs 54.13 crore were awarded without inviting tenders to two contractors and their relatives and nominees under 103piece-work agreements. The contractors got an undue benefit of Rs 1.12 crore from 19 works alone by violating the agreement conditions.

Extra payments aggregating to Rs 3.08 crore were made to contractors for shoring which was not admissible as per the conditions of contract.

Karappuzha Irrigation project was started in 1978 at an estimated cost of Rs 7.6 crore for increasing paddy cultivation in Vythiri and Sultan Bathery taluks. The project had not been completed even 19 years since. The estimated cost had soared up to Rs 225 crore as per revised estimate registering an increase of 2,960 per cent. Even the partial commissioning, which was targeted for 1984-85, had not been achieved.

It may be recalled that works worth crores of rupees were given to Kunjumahin Haji and T V Pylee through the departmental system8217; during the previous UDF rule.