BANGALORE: A PWD Executive Engineer in Gadag will face action for violating provisions of Transparency Act and Prevention of Corruption Act.
C R Bellary executed compound construction work worth `60 lakh at the district administrative building without sanction and in contravention of the provisions of the Transparency Act. He claimed that he has acted on the verbal instruction from District Minister H K Patil and the DC to complete the work at the earliest.
The Lokayukta office has directed Gadag Lokayukta police to take up the case. M M Mugal of Gadag district and Subahussain of Koppal have filed a complaint with the Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi in this regard claiming that a steel-grill compound wall was constructed without sanction.
During the enquiry, it was found that the administrative building was built in October 2008 and according to the conditions, the defect liability was in force till October 2013. However, on the verbal instructions of the Minister and the DC, a meeting was convened in June 2013 and a decision was taken to demolish and reconstruct the steel-grill compound wall on the front side of the building and Bellary was directed to take up the work.
He entrusted the work to S M Jalannavar, a private contractor. However, though the cost involving demolition and reconstruction of the wall was more than `5 lakh, the contractor gave a statement that he had spent around `60 lakh to execute the work. “The executive engineer also admitted in his statement that he had not obtained administrative and technical approval and executed the work only on the basis of verbal instructions of the DC. Indisputably, the provisions of the Transparency Act would make the violator liable for penal consequences under section 23 of the Act,” Justice Adi said.
Further, on April 23, the Executive Engineer sent another letter to the Upa Lokayukta stating that a fresh tender had been issued for the work already executed. The Chief Engineer (PWD-North) submitted that the Executive Engineer, in his attempt to rectify the mistake, sought to include the already executed work in the 2014 tender bulletin.
“The Executive Engineer has not utilised the defect liability under the previous contract. He has also flouted rules under Section 23 of the Transparency Act. In addition, by issuing another tender notification for the same work, he has prima facie committed offence under IPC and under section 13 (C) of prevention of corruption Act. The Lokayukta police concerned have been apprised to take action,” the Upa Lokayukta said.