CPI Alleged Corp's Irregularities
The Communist Party of India(Marxist) has alleged irregularities in the Coimbatore Corporation’s process of inviting bids for establishing two sewage treatment plants as part of its Rs.377-crore underground drainage scheme. Leader of the CPI(M) in the Council and Corporation North Zone Chairman C. Padmanabhan has said in a letter to Secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply K. Deenabandhu that tender rules have been violated in many ways, including citing a particular technology in the invitation of bids. The councillor has called for fresh tenders and a thorough probe into the process carried out so far.Tender rules have been violated in many ways
The CPI (M) is the second party to make this allegation. More than a week ago, leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) P. Rajkumar accused the Corporation of having fixed the implementing agencies first and merely having run through the process of inviting bids. The AIADMK had also pointed out that by specifying the Cyclic Activated Sludge Process (CASP) as the technology needed for this project, the Corporation was only trying to make any implementing firm dependent on one technology provider.
Mr. Padmanabhan also points out in his letter that this approach puts in a position of great bargaining power a Pune-based firm that is the only one in the country providing this technology. The councillor complains that there has been no transparency at all in the approach to implementing schemes. The Corporation has clarified on the AIADMK’s statement that the entire process is transparent and the technology specified has been approved by the Central Government. The plants are to be established by private parties on a design-build-operate and transfer basis.
The detailed project reports for all the schemes have not been placed in the Council, he said. ven minimum details on the schemes have not been provided to the elected body. Mr. Padmanbhan’s letter says the Corporation had erred in not mentioning an alternative technology. The CASP technology will only bring losses to the civic body. The running cost on power consumption will be heavy. Drainage schemes have been implemented in many cities using various technologies. But, the Corporation has not said how many of them are using the CASP technology. The letter also points out that the design of the plants cannot be approved by the Corporation. It has to be done by the Central Public Health and Environment Engineering Organisation of the Union Ministry of Urban Development.
