NGO urges Corporation Commissioner to tackle corruption in road, SWD contracts

Arappor Iyakkam, an NGO working towards transparency and accountability, has written to Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi urging him to take steps to revise scheduled rates and market rates for the construction materials to save huge expenses for the exchequer while awarding tenders.

The organisation also sought action, including suspension and departmental inquiry, against all engineers and officials responsible for the illegalities and irregularities in the past.

“Chennai corporation has been handing over huge amounts of tenders in roads and storm water drains at way above the market prices,” Jayaram Venkatesan, founder, Arappor Iyakkam said. Citing the Rs 740 crore road and drain tenders in September 2018, he said the scheduled rate of M30 ready mix concrete was fixed at Rs 6,800 per cubic metre, while the market rate of M30, including labour, vibration charges, GST, etc. worked out to less than Rs 6,000 per CUM.

“Syndicates of contractors were formed and they quoted rates between Rs 8,000 and Rs 13,000 per CUM for M30 ready mix concrete. In order to justify the huge unjust enrichment, the Corporation calculated the market rate of M30 as around Rs 9,800 per CUM,” he pointed out.

He urged the Commissioner to do away with the practice of handing over a lot of tenders to a syndicate of contractors under the grab of limited tenders in the Corporation. He also asked the civic body to ensure transparency in tenders and stressed the need to publish all tenders in the tender bulletin.

Jayaram Venkatesan requested the Commissioner to issue orders to not raise road heights and also ensure it through proper specifications in tenders. “We request you to take steps to immediately implement the amendments made in 2010 to enable the formation of ward committee and area sabha, and also take steps to amend the Act further to strengthen it,” he added.