KOCHI: As plumes of smoke continued to billow from the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant for the fifth day, on Monday, serious allegations of rampant corruption are being hurled at the CPM-led Kochi corporation for awarding the bio-mining contract to Bengaluru-based firm Zonta Infratech.
While there was some relief in and around Brahmapuram, residents of Aroor, in Alappuzha, complained of the presence of toxic smoke. Following the rigorous efforts of hundreds of Fire and Rescue Services personnel, the Navy, and other agencies, the fire was brought under control on Sunday evening, but the fumes continued to rise from the site.
Sunitha Dixon, public works chairman of the corporation, put the corruption figure associated with the plant at Rs 10 crore. “Zonta Infratech is owned by the son-in-law of senior CPM leader Vaikom Viswan. Over the last two years, the corporation has paid Rs 10 crore to the contractor, who has not done any work. Councillors used to get agitated at council meetings whenever I sought a report on the work being carried out at Brahmapuram,” she said.
Opposition councillors have questioned the awarding of the contract to Zonta, which they say does not have the required experience to run bio-mining operations.
Congress MP Benny Behanan said the corruption linked to the Brahmapuram plant is one of the biggest in the state. Behanan, who along with UDF councillors visited the site, said there was not even a single official of the corporation at the site.
“Despite instructions, the control room has not been opened. Adequate equipment was not provided to the firefighting team there and most of them were working without masks,” he said. UDF councillor Deepti Mary Varghese said multiple fires broke out on the over 100-acre plot and they were spread out, raising suspicions of foul play. “If it was a natural fire it would have started from one side. Unlike past years, this accident cannot be categorised as a natural mishap and a serious investigation is warranted,” she said. Deepti said we raised the question of why an underqualified company was given the contract with the mayor at several council meetings.
“Moreover, the company has no experience in bio-mining. All these prove the irregularities involved in assigning the firm. The over Rs 10 crore paid to the firm has gone down the drain,” she added. She said the suspicion intensified as the company has not completed even 25% of the work even though its contract has expired.
M G Aristotle, another UDF councilor, said there is room for doubt that the ‘accident’ was a strategically executed plan. “The only party to be benefited from the accident is Zonta, as they wouldn’t have to carry out the rest of the bio-mining at the site,” he said.