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Kochi: Audit asks council to repay Rs 20 lakh

Local Fund Audit Department's report for 2012-13 finds that the loss is caused due to irregular awarding of contact for waste removal.

Kochi: The Local Fund Audit Department in its audit report for 2012-13 has said the Kochi corporation incurred a loss of Rs 20.32 lakh due to the irregular awarding of contract for waste removal and asked the council members who attended the meeting which finalised the contract and the then corporation secretary to pay back the amount to the corporation.

The audit report, submitted in July, 2015, though not circulated among councillors, has appeared as an item in the council meeting agenda on Friday.

The audit found that the council in its meeting on April 4, 2012 selected the contractor who quoted the highest rates for vehicles and ignored the lowest quoted person citing unjustifiable reasons. Mr Ajith Patil was the corporation secretary.

As per the procedure, the councillors and the former secretary will be required to make the payment once the council approves the report.

Some of the other findings are irregularities in tendering for waste removal, saline water flushing in drains, implementation of projects for SC/ST welfare, e-toilet and green toilets in different parts of the city.

It was revealed that the same vehicle has been used for saline water flushing at different locations on the same day at the same time.

The Opposition lashed at the ruling bench alleging that the findings of the Audit Department reveal massive corruption and poor financial management of the previous council.

Regarding the green toilet construction, the contractors were paid full amount even before the commission of the facility and they remain closed even now.

As the Opposition wanted the agenda to be discussed in detail, it has been postponed to the next council meeting.

( Source : deccan chronicle )
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