THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Comptroller and Auditor General has called for a detailed investigation into the implementation of a drainage project, the one related to the improvement of Pazhavangadi Thodu. The nearly Rs -10-crore work was awarded to a private company for removing silt from the canal and the cleaning of screens fixed across the canal. The CAG feels additional money was paid to the contractor for a work not carried out. The work relating to ‘Improvement to Pazhavangadi Thodu’, forming part of the Storm Water Drainage project, was awarded by the Corporation to Mr Nizamudeen A, Thoppil Constructions India Ltd. for Rs 9.37 crore in July 2012. The work included installation of stainless steel bar screens at a cost of Rs 0.28 crore (61.38 sq.m at Rs 4,500) at selected locations across the drain to arrest debris. The contract also included Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of Pazhavangadi Thodu for two years after completing the drain work.
The terms of the O&M included the following: one, removing silt from Pazhavangadi Thodu (2063.70 cubic metres at Rs 1000) for Rs 0.21 crore; and two, cleaning of screens fixed across Pazhavangadi Thodu two times a day in non-monsoon period and three times a day in monsoon period (1460 days at Rs 3000) for R 0.44 crore.On January 2015, a decision was taken to omit the item for providing silt pit and screening as it was felt that chances for flooding would be more if the debris clogged the screens. The contractor also agreed with the same and agreed to do maintenance all through the drain during the O&M period.
Consequently, the work of installation of stainless steel bar screens was removed from the scope of the contract. However, the CAG observed that after completing the original work, the Corporation additionally paid Rs 6.09 lakh as O&M charges towards cleaning of debris in bar screens for the period December 1, 2015, to June 20, 2016 (203 days at Rs 3000), as claimed by the contractor. “Payment of O&M charges by the Corporation to the contractor, towards cleaning of bar screens, when these were not installed, was fraudulent and merits investigation,” the report noted.
