KOCHI: After conducting a preliminary inquiry into the corruption involved in the construction of the Palarivattom flyover, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has submitted a report to its director recommending registration of an FIR for conducting a detailed probe. The flyover constructed on NH 66 at Palarivattom in the city is under repair after cracks were detected on the bridge.
The VACB filed its report to the Vigilance Director on Tuesday.
In the preliminary probe, the agency found flaws in the construction of the bridge. “An FIR has to be registered to conduct a detailed probe. Initially, the FIR will be registered against the construction company. The officials of RBDCK and KITCO will be arraigned as accused if there is sufficient evidence against them,” an officer said.
An analysis of the samples from the bridge by the Highway Engineering Laboratory revealed that sufficient cement and steel were not used during the construction. Similarly, the report also blamed RBDCK officials for not supervising the works done by the construction company.
The tarmac on the bridge got damaged within months of commissioning of the flyover in October 2016. Last year, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) detected cracks on the bridge.A team from IIT Madras, which inspected the bridge, also filed a report to PWD Minister highlighting flaws in the construction of the bridge. The VACB also took an expert opinion during the preliminary inquiry.
Sample survey
An analysis of the samples from the bridge by the Highway Engineering Laboratory revealed that sufficient cement and steel were not used during the construction
IIT Madras team inspects repair work
Kochi: The expert team from IIT Madras on Wednesday inspected the ongoing repair work at the Palarivattom flyover, even as uncertainty continues on whether the bridge could be opened for traffic on June 1. The visit, led by P Alagusundaramoorthy, professor, Structural Engineering Laboratory, Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, comes at a time when the first phase of renovation work, which began on May 2, is nearing completion. The Palarivattom flyover, triggered widespread uproar after it developed cracks within 29-months of commissioning.
When contacted, Alagusundaramoorthy remained tight-lipped about the visit. “We are not supposed to speak to the press. It is RBDCK, who has the authority to share the information,” he said. A senior officer at Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala Limited (RBDCK), which was the implementing agency of the bridge, confirmed the expert team’s visit, but did not reveal any further information. RDS Constructions, the contracting firm which built the flyover in 2016, is executing the repair works at its expense as part of its contractual obligations.