THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered nearly two dozen cases after detecting irregularities during the multiple episodes of Operation Saral Rasta, a special drive intended to unearth malpractices in road construction in the state. The vigilance sources said samples from 200 roads were collected during the three legs of the drive. The samples were subjected to a quality test, of which 24 were found either using substandard construction materials or lacking the requisite thickness of bitumen.
The number of roads that failed the lab tests could go up further as more results are awaited. The lab reports, along with recommendations of the anti-graft body have been forwarded to the state government for further action. The vigilance, meanwhile, have registered 24 cases against the road contractors for causing damages to the state exchequer. The special drives had laid bare the reality that many of the roads were being built without following the directives of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Indian Road Congress.
The samples of the roads were taken by the Vigilance sleuths on the basis of the information collated by its intelligence wing and through tip-offs from the public.
In case of multiple samples of roads prepared by a contractor failing quality test, the vigilance will suggest blacklisting that contractor and effectively preventing him from associating with the government works in the near future.
“The blacklisting and similar punitive actions should come from the government department concerned. We, on our part have registered cases against the contractors for failing to adhere to the stipulated standards while constructing roads and resulting in pecuniary losses to the public exchequer,” said an officer.