Bengaluru: Determined
to do something positive to root out the rampant corruption, financial
irregularities and shoddy infrastructure projects that are all part and
parcel of the BBMP, Yediyur corporator N.R. Ramesh has found what he
thinks could be the solution.

According to Ramesh, about 28 per
cent of project costs are being squandered at various levels, in the
process forcing the contractors to do shoddy work. Both public
representatives and BBMP officials, he said, are to be blamed for
squandering tax payers’ money.

“Corrupt practices can be
eradicated by resorting to online payment of money to contractors for
the works executed. Currently, every contractor has to cough up 25 per
cent of the cost of the project at various levels in the BBMP,” he
revealed.

He stressed that when the system of release of funds is
taken online for contractors, certain guidelines must be laid down.
After completion of the project, emailing of photographs of the project
must be made mandatory.

Completion of the work, he said, must also
be endorsed by the assistant executive and executive engineers of that
area. The commissioner must route those mails to the concerned zonal
joint commissioners and chief engineers to ensure that the project is
adhered to as per the contract and regular third party inspections
should be conducted at various levels.

The joint commissioner and
chief engineer must send a joint inspection copy to the BBMP
commissioner for further approval, he said.

If the contractor is
not made to cough up money at various levels in the BBMP, he pointed
out, the quality of the project can be ensured. It prevents contractors
running from pillar to post to get the money released, added Ramesh.

After
the joint inspection report by the zonal commissioner and chief
engineers concerned, the files must be signed by officials at various
levels such as engineers, joint commissioner, assistant controller of
finance, deputy controller of finance, chief accounts officer and cheque
section within 48 to 52 hours. If this practice is implemented, the
BBMP can easily save at least 25 per cent of the project cost and
quality can be ensured.

These stringent measures can be
implemented for all the projects except construction of buildings and
remodeling of storm water drains, said Ramesh.

It’s scams galore in the Palike!

Corruption
and scams have become synonymous with the BBMP. Not long ago when the
agency was under an administrator the ‘midnight tenders scam’ rocked the
state as officials tried to approve tenders worth Rs 1,000 crore after
office hours in violation of the rules.

Former mayors, P.R. Ramesh
and Ramachandrappa alerted the media to the after dark activity. And
following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Ramesh, the high
court cancelled the tenders and directed the BBMP to float them afresh.

Last
year, the Technical Vigilance Committee under the Commissioner (TVCC)
unearthed a Rs 1,539 crore scam in three sub-divisions of Malleswaram,
Rajarajesh­wari­nagar and Gandhinagar.

It found that contractors had connived with legislators and claimed bills for work not done during the administrator’s period.

The
TVCC  recommended a Loka­yukta probe into the matter. This was not the
end, however, as yet another scam was exposed by the BBMP’s  standing
committee on administration and reforms. While raiding the education
wing, it came across  irregularities in the distribution of uniforms and
shoes to students in BBMP schools, and in the management of staff and
school furniture.

Vageesh, who headed the committee at the time,
feared that over Rs 480 crore may have been misappropriated. “There is
no official record of the funds allotted by the government since 2006.
Neither the education officer, the case officer nor the Inspector can
tell you why,” he said. Also, from 2006, an organisation called Crystal
had been been given the  contract with all rules and regulations thrown
to the wind, the committee said.

The TVCC meanwhile  detected that
30,000 sq ft, more had been estimated under Transferable Development
Rights (TDR) by officials from Mahadevapura and Yelahanka zones to
favour builders and other vested interests. The value of the buildings
was inflated and in some cases roads and government properties too
considered to help builders, the report said.