Deccan Chronicle 11.12.2009

Contractors pay ‘bribe’ for bills

Dec. 10: Contractors associated with the Chennai corporation engaged in construction of stormwater drains, parks and roads in city limits have recently started facing new road blocks while getting their bills passed with some and clerks and mangers in the corporation zonal offices demanding favours from them.

“Clerks at the Nungambakkam zonal office expect money for just making an entry about the bill and passing it to the next clerk. Usually only field officials expect that the contractors should grease their palms. But this is a new and unhealthy trend,” say contractors.

“Already bureaucratic hurdles and procedures haunt us; if this situation continues, no one will come forward to take up corporation projects,” another contractor said requesting anonymity.

A few months ago, when a similar complaint alleging that a few councillors of zone 8 prevented the contractors from taking part in the tender process was taken up with mayor M. Subramanian, he immediately summoned the zonal chairman and the local councillors and enquired about the issue. Since then there is no problem from the elected representatives in that zone. Now it is zone 7 corporation staff disrupting the bill sanctioning process and tender procedures, contractors said.