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Rs 13-crore road surfacing work already completed sans tenders, alleges ex-BBMP corporator
BENGALURU:
Here’s another classic example of how BBMP engineers couldn’t care less for the ‘nicety’ of obtaining their bosses’ consent before going ahead with civic works. In the latest instance, the engineers have gone ahead with execution of works worth Rs 50 crore even before Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta can chair the maiden meeting of the city-level implementation committee (CLIC) mandated by law.
The state government, under the 15th Finance Commission’s grants, has allotted Rs 279 crore for BBMP to undertaken a micro-level action plan for which a CLIC was formed under the chairmanship of Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta. The Rs 50-crore tenders, pushed through irregularly by the civic engineers, form part of these overall grants.
KTTP Act also flouted
The committee was formed on June 30, 2021 but has not had a single meeting in the 42 days since then. Despite that, BBMP’s traffic engineering cell’s (TEC) Executive Engineer has invited tenders worth Rs 50 crore to undertake the following works: Providing thermoplastic painting for rumbler strips, lane marking, junction marking, different types of signboards, pelican signals, scientific humps, medians, painting of medians and curbstones, HRPC and other safety furniture as per the traffic police’s requests at arterial and sub-arterial roads. The tenders include development of footpaths and allied works in arterial and sub-arterial roads (specifically Railway Parallel Road from Bellary Road to Nehru Circle, Seshadripuram).
Interestingly, the engineers have once again flouted the KTPP Act and invited short-term tenders. The tenders were invited on July 23 and August 11 is the last date to submit bids.
Gupta orders probe
TheBengaluruLive has brought this gross irregularity to Chief Commissioner Gupta’s notice.
Meanwhile, former corporator and the BJP’s South Bengaluru president NR Ramesh has submitted a petition to Gupta, seeking an inquiry into the tender irregularities. Sources say Gupta has ordered the in-house Technical Vigilance Cell to conduct an inquiry and submit its report.
In fact, Ramesh has alleged that some of the works have been awarded to a favoured contractor and have already been completed. “Almost Rs 13 crore worth of road surfacing work has been completed by the TEC without inviting tenders,” Ramesh has said in his complaint.
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