BHUBANESWAR: The Works department’s initiative to install asset boards at public utilities like roads, bridges and government buildings has come under scanner following allegations of irregularities in the award of the projects. The installation works are being assigned to certain contractors without following procedures like floating tenders, it is alleged.
Sources said as per a decision taken at the highest level, the Works department has entrusted the responsibility of installing asset boards featuring the message ‘This property is yours, at your expense, for your service. Take care of it with the picture of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at important roads, bridges and buildings, including schools and hospitals in the state.
The informatory retro-reflectors boards were to be made of retro-reflective sheets of high-intensity prismatic grade sheeting as per the specifications decided by the department. The boards were to be installed in three sizes - 12x8 sq ft, 12x10 sq ft and 15x10 sq ft.
Sources said some executive engineers of the department have already assigned the job to agencies without following the tender procedures. As per the OPWD code, the executive engineers are supposed to issue notifications and call tenders for works up to Rs 5 lakh.
The state government has planned to install around 5,000 such boards in 58 sub-divisions of 30 districts. As the estimated cost of each asset board ranges from around Rs 64,000 to Rs 1.29 lakh depending on the size, the total cost would not be less than Rs 50 crore.
While some of the contractors have already erected the boards at roads and bridges in districts like Khurda, people associated with it wondered how divisions allowed the installation without tender. “Neither any notification has been issued nor any tender has been floated at the division level. Surprisingly, the asset boards have been installed at some places by certain contractors without any agreement. This way, the government is also losing huge revenue. Had the jobs been given through a tender process, the government would have saved at least 15 per cent of the estimated cost,” pointed out an agency involved in the infrastructure works.
Chief engineer (roads) Tara Prasad Mishra, however, feigned ignorance that the installations are being done without tender. He said the divisions have been asked to execute the asset board installation at their level by following proper procedures.