Fintech city tender: Arappor questions 'tainted' officials going scot-free

CHENNAI: Responding to a statement issued by the state government on providing tender to PST Engineering Construction to construct FINTECH City, Arappor Iyakkam has pointed out that the government has failed to take action against concerned officials for poor construction of KP Park tenements. PST Engineering Construction built the tenements, which got damaged even after inauguration.

"The IIT CUBE report which clearly shows that PST Engineering Construction had used upto 15 bags of sand per bag of cement instead of the required specification of 5 bags of sand per bag of cement. More than 90 per cent of the plastering samples have failed the required specification. This being the case why hasn't the DVAC filed a FIR to investigate the matter? Why is DVAC's preliminary enquiry which is supposed to be completed within 2 months as per DVAC manual still not completed and FIR initiated?

There is no stay or bar on the government by any court to undertake criminal action. It is disappointing to see your last paragraph in DIPR press release that action will be taken if the lapses are proved as per tender transparency law and bid conditions of the project. There is no talk on criminal action in your DIPR press release when such a large scale corruption has taken place and given lapses were already proved by IIT CUBE report, " Jayaram Venkatesan, convenor of Arappor Iyakkam, said in his statement.

He asked the government why the departmental action on the then executive engineer Sundarrajan and others responsible for poor construction have not been initiated and completed. By now, they should have been dismissed from service for the collusion and corruption with PST Engineering Construction. They should have atleast be suspended instead, government has promoted him as Chief Engineer and has given key powerful positions.

"However, contract for construction of infrastructure at FINTECH City have now been handed over to them. When people involved in the same Corruption serve as Chief Engineers, how can we expect TNUHDB to vacate the blacklisting stay against PST Engineering Construction by presenting the full facts of collusion?" He asked.