THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Transport Project's project director Ajit Patil is on a mission to find erring officials in the department after the work on the Thiruvalla bypass resulted in cost overruns which snowballed into a major controversy with World Bank officials getting red-faced. Before the next steering committee meeting, to be headed by the Chief Secretary, he will have to give a reply as to why the expenditure skyrocketed to Rs 65 crore from the estimate of Rs 32 crore. It is reliably learnt that the next steering committee is expected in Thiruvananthapuram sometime next week. The vigilance wing of the Public Works Department is already probing the malpractices that have happened on the construction work of Thiruvalla bypass (2.3 km – Rs 32 crore). It was inaugurated during early 2014 and work was expected to be completed within 24 months, but there has been an inordinate delay.
PWD minister G. Sudhakaran, when the vigilance wing came out with a report against the then project director P. G. Suresh, duly suspended him. He was later reinstated after he was given a clean chit leaving his predecessors under suspicion. A top PWD official told DC that there were no issues with World Bank officials on the KSTP – II project. “While the State Government cannot revise the estimate and also no arbitration work can be taken up, the World Bank has got these provisions. How can the Government be liberal and give funds as per one’s whims and fancies? It has to be repaid with interest where 56 percent share belongs to the World Bank and the remaining 44 percent rests with the State Government”, said a top PWD official.
However, top PWD officials believe that it was the unscientific preparation of the Detailed Project Report for Thiruvalla bypass and Ponkunnam-Thodupuzha road, which resulted in the escalated expenditure. They also told DC that the vigilance would inquire into the role of consultants who prepared the DPR. Meanwhile, World Bank officials have also called for a vision meeting on Aug 21 at New Delhi where in all likelihood, Sudhakaran will tender his open apology to them for the racist statement he had made two weeks ago. However, it is not yet confirmed whether the ethics committee meeting has also been called. Apart from the PWD minister, top officials like Chief Secretary Nalini Netto, PWD secretary Biju Prabhakar and KSTP project director Ajit Patil will also be attending the vision meeting.
