CUTTACK: Alleged corruption in Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has led to a fierce political battle in the city with MLA Mohammed Moquim and mayor Subhas Singh engaging in a bitter verbal duel.Addressing mediapersons, Moquim alleged CMC has chosen four agencies for carrying out development projects worth above Rs 1.5 crore without calling for tender despite corporators demanding to do so. Further, the civic body has also made a provision for spending Rs 14 crore on supervision of the projects.
“I doubt whether the detailed project reports (DPRs) of the projects have been prepared. Had the CMC floated tenders, experienced and reputed agencies would have come forward to execute the work at the lowest rate,” said Moquim.
The civic body is keeping the corporators in the dark on plans and estimates of development projects. “The CMC is not providing information even through RTI on covering roads with paver blocks. Why bills and vouchers of low grade paver block works carried out by CMC are not being made public,” questioned the legislator.
Countering the allegations, Singh said the civic body is going to implement as many as 72 projects at a cost of Rs 155 crore and to maintain transparency their implementation have been assigned to four reputed government undertaking agencies
The agencies have been directed to complete the projects within six months. As the decision was taken in the council meeting to carry out development works through government undertaking agencies, there was no need of floating tenders. Moquim however said he would review the DPRs of the projects.