Numerous scams during five-year regime of YS Jaganmohan Reddy have been exposing one by one at the fag end of his government. These scams are detailing how they looted people’s money at will with the collusion of key government officials.
About Rs. 426 crores of illegal sharing in water grid works has come to light of late. In the water grid tenders, the engineers of the rural drinking water supply department nakedly violating rules benefited interested contractors.
Water grid works worth Rs. 8,690 crores which are part of the Jal Jeevan Mission were not only handed over proxy contractors violating regulations, but also looted the government money. A lawyer from Vijayawada collecting information under RTI exposed the loot game that took place two years ago.
Though he exposed how those works were handed over to ineligible companies submitting documents that were not uploaded online, the officials maintained silence.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, tenders have been called for water grid works estimated at Rs. 8,690 crores for supplying drinking water to the people of Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and Chittoor districts along with the two Godavari districts. The works were procured at an additional amount of 4.91 percent over the estimated value.
Due to this additional Rs. 426.67 crores had to be paid. Officials did not pay attention to the violation of regulations regarding qualifications, technical experience of the monopolist companies. Jagan, who boasted that he would hand over the works at a low price through reverse tender, has been criticized for handing over the tenders for an additional 5 percent more than the estimated value.
The tenders were floated disregarding the requirement that the company which was the lead partner in the joint venture should have 51 per cent work experience in laying the proposed pipelines. For example, in Krishna district, instead of the lead partner, another company in the joint venture was shown to have experience. It is not valid as per rules. However, the tasks were assigned.
The Tender Committee has given the go-ahead despite the violation by the bidders of the requirement to upload every document online. Self-certification documents should also be submitted online such as there are no criminal cases against tendering companies, no blacklisting by government departments anywhere in the country, no pending bankruptcy cases in banks.
