The cash-strapped Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is not able to pay its employees salaries on time, but at the same time it seems to be wasting its resources on “unnecessary” works.
The Technical Vigilance Cell under the Commissioner (TVCC) in the BBMP has found that nearly 40 per cent of works undertaken in eight wards last year were unnecessary.
That, according to the TVCC report, amounts to unnecessary spending of `10 crore. The BBMP has now issued show-cause notices to the engineers responsible for taking up the ward works.
The TVCC conducted a probe into the works taken up in the eight wards, one in each zone, on the instructions of the commissioner.
BBMP sources said 447 works, including civil works, asphalting and building repair, were taken up in the eight wards during 2011-12.
“The TVCC found that the works were taken up at a cost of `53.8 crore. Of these works, 171 were unnecessarily taken up. A footpath which was in a good condition was dug up and relaid. This holds good to all other works,” sources said.
The report also says `11.3 crore was spent on asphalting roads.
“As per the Indian Road Congress, technical analysis has to be done on roads before asphalting. It was not done. They have not maintained road history. This means, road has been laid blindly,” sources said.
Tenders for the works were called according to the whims and fancies of officials and elected representatives, the report says.
“An assistant executive engineer has the powers to call tenders up to `20 lakh. Under this provision, tenders were called for the 447 works. Most of the tenders had just two participants. But according to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act (KTPP), there should be at least three participants for a better competition,” sources said.
Sources at commissioner’s office said, “The situation may be same in all wards in which the BBMP might have spent about Rs 230 crore unnecessarily on ward works.”
When contacted, Commissioner Rajneesh Goel said he had issued circulars to all the zones stating that this should not be repeated.