The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) informed the Kerala High Court that it has been kept in the dark about the works at the Vengad Gokulam under the Guruvayur Devaswom.
In an affidavit filed before the court, the CPWD stated that it had taken up the works following a direction from the court. The agency had prepared an MoU to execute the works, which was accepted and signed by the administrator of the devaswom. A draft preliminary estimate too was prepared and sent to the administrator.
It was later decided at a meeting of the empowered committee that the plans, estimates and schemes submitted by the CPWD shall be examined by Ani S Das, MD, Kerala Life Stock Development Board. It was also decided that the CPWD shall prepare a revised plan after incorporating the modifications, if any, suggested by him. The agency said it later understood that the work was assigned to the Board by the unilateral decision of the empowered committee, keeping the CPWD in the dark. It was later reported in the media that the Board will entrust the work to Central/State government construction agencies. The Board is rendering consultancy and supervision of the work. In that case, two agencies will be involved in the execution of work, which otherwise, becomes duplication of departmental charges, it said.
The CPWD was inducted to the empowered panel with a specific purpose. By the purported decision taken by the committee, the very purpose has been defeated, it said.