Bhubaneswar: A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has brought to the fore serious financial irregularities including undue benefits to contractors by the works department– creating a loss of around Rs 50 crore to the state exchequer.
The apex auditor of the government found that in one division, earth available from the road way cutting and drain was not utilised. Further, the bid document forming part of the contract for the work stipulated that the contractor would have to make his own arrangements for land requirements for burrow areas.
However, the estimate included payment of compensation towards earth from private land though the State Analysis of Rates didn’t provide for the same. This resulted in extra expenditure and undue benefit of Rs7.09 crore to the contractor.
When asked for his reaction to the CAG findings, Executive Engineer, Keonjhar (R&B) Division stated that earth obtained from cross drainage works was not used since the soil was marshy and it included other parameters such as disintegrated rock, soft rock, among others.
But, CAG was not satisfied with the response since as per specification of the Indian Roads Congress, preference was to be given to materials available from roadway excavation under the same contract. CAG further highlighted that the test results in support of unsuitability of earth could not be produced to auditor. The payment towards earth from private land was not obligatory as per terms and conditions of the contract.
This apart, as per State Analysis of Rates, the total distance for transportation of material from quarry to work site should not exceed the distance from quarry to mixing plant plus distance from mixing plant to work site to carry mixed materials. However, the apex auditor noted that in 12 road works the estimate included extra lead charges from mixing plant to works site in addition to lead charges already provided from quarries to work site for transportation of stone products. This led to extra cost and undue benefit of Rs 22.75 crore.
Officials of the works department informed CAG that these works were executed as per ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) guidelines and the hot mix plant was required to be established at the centre of the project.
But, the CAG reported that this was not acceptable since the total distance from quarry to work site should not exceed the distance from quarry to mixing plant plus distance from plant site to work site.
CAG inspection of documents further exposed that in 10 roads works provision of surface dressing was made in violation of Indian Roads Congress’s specifications leading to extra expenditure of Rs 17.02 crore. But, Executive Engineer, Rayagada Division No 1 stated that these works were for widening of single lane to two-lane road. He further stated that the traffic could not ply on the existing road and vehicular traffic should not be allowed on finished Wet Mix Macadam (WMM) surface till it dried up and wearing course was laid.
But, CAG noted that the reply was not tenable since the agreement had already provided for a binder course (BM) and wearing course (SDBC) as per IRC specifications.
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