ripfkerala-fightcorruption

India's biggest corporate fraud investigation underway

In India’s allegedly biggest-ever case of corporate fraud Satyam Computer Service Ltd. founder Ramalinga Raju and his brother Rama face charges of “criminal conspiracy and breach of trust in an alleged $1 billion [734 million] fraud,".

The scandal broke when Raju confessed to “filling the company’s balance sheets with “fictitious” assets and “nonexistent” cash in an extraordinary letter to the company’s board,”.

Raju said that he had “falsified accounts for “several years” to stave off a takeover, however, accounting experts can’t explain how the reporting error went unnoticed.

“Satyam’s shares plummeted on the news by 75%, dragging down India’s stock main market by 7%.”

“Officials have seized documents and the nation’s accounting body is examining auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC’s local unit,”.

In a bid to minimise the fall-out from the scandal, the Indian government appointed Deepak Parekh, chairman of HDFC Bank; Kiran Karnik, a former president of the National Association of Software Services Companies outsourcing industry body; and C.Achuthan, director of the National Stock Exchange and formerly of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, to the company’s board on 11 January.

Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta called the Satyam case “an aberration,” urging that the “credibility of the Indian corporate sector in general, and IT sector in particular, should not be allowed to suffer because of this,".

Many analysts say that the “chase for huge profits, and the desire to keep up with the break-neck speed of India’s $50 bn outsourcing industry’s growth rates that may have been behind Mr Raju’s motivation in fudging the accounts at his firm,” writes the BBC.

The restriction of civil society activity in Montenegro reached a high point recently with the sentencing of a leading activist from Transparency International’s partner organisation MANS (Mreza za Afirmaciju NVO sektora). The sentence for obstructing police action by opposing the dismantling of a public petition, will be disputed by MANS in a complaint to be filed this Thursday 05 February before Montenegro’s High Court.

"Petitioning the government is a fundamental right for all citizens,” said Miklos Marschall, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia at Transparency International. “If the authorities violated the law in suppressing a constitutionally-guaranteed right, they should face the consequences. If a law lends itself to be subjectively interpreted and selectively applied, it must be changed to comply with European norms."

Since January 2006, MANS sought transparency in the privatisation process of KAP, the largest national aluminium processor, which consumes almost half of the energy imported into Montenegro yet was not subjected to a 71 per cent price hike affecting households and small businesses. Parallel to this initiative, MANS organised a public petition against the skyrocketing prices in Montenegro in 2007 as part of a country-wide campaign.

The organisation’s efforts led to the collection of over 30.000 signatures from citizens. While collecting signatures at the main square in Podgorica, a number of unidentified persons in civilian clothing attempted to remove the petition tables and papers into a nearby vehicle. When Veselin Bajceta, Deputy Director of MANS, attempted to stop them, he was promptly arrested by the police and charged with preventing the same authority from performing their public duty. Mr. Bajceta’s sentence to one month of prison, convertible to one year of probation, was issued by the basic court in June 2008 and delivered in the last week of January 2009.

The Constitution of Montenegro guarantees every citizen the right to organise a civic initiative or petition, and local legislation does not require official permission to be obtained in order to organise public civic action.

For 14 months, MANS had, by mobilising public pressure, been pushing for the publication of the privatisation contract of KAP which was finally made public by the responsible Ministry for Economic Development, shortly before the arrest of Mr. Bajceta.

Depriving civil society of the right to speak freely, threatening and prosecuting them while, at the same time, showing zero political will to investigate and process high political and business figures for alleged grand corruption, clearly indicates that Montenegro is a long way from becoming the solid democratic society it must be as it seeks possible entry to the European Union.

As a full party to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the government of Montenegro is thereby committed to actively promote civil society participation and raise awareness regarding the causes and risks posed by corruption. Transparency International calls on the government to fully fulfil this commitment without delay.

Transparency International supports MANS efforts to bring transparency to the administration of public assets, its strong protest against the intimidation of civil society in Montenegro as well as the constitutional rights of civil society activists.

Press statement in Montenegrin

###

Transparency International is the civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption.

Note to editors: In February 2007, Montenegro faced a so called "electric shock", when electricity bills for households and small and medium companies increased by 71 per cent due to a necessary rise in import of electricity of 30 per cent. At the same time, KAP was excluded from the official tariff policy, as the price for energy delivered to the aluminium giant remained bound to the price of aluminium and continuous delivery of energy at normal prices was guaranteed.

The campaign “KAP trosi, a ko placa” (KAP spends but who pays?) was initiated by MANS to lead citizens in preparing a petition to the Minister of Economy demanding equal treatment.

Over 50 NGOs from all municipalities of Montenegro and several local trade unions joined the campaign, together collecting over 30.000 signatures from citizens supporting the initiative, which represents the strongest support of any public initiative received so far in Montenegro.

Thanks to Transperancy International news

1. The first time you use your card, change your PIN.

2. Do not disclose your PIN. It's your secret.

3. Memorize your PIN. Do not keep PIN along with your card.

4. Disclosing PIN to someone is like giving a blank signed cheque.

5. For unauthorised use of card the responsibility is fully of the
card holder.

Cow Dung Water Poured on the Steps of University for a Symbolic Purification

VC Pro-VC & 4 Syndicate Members Found Guilty.

{Please Refer Our Previous Post 'RIPF IMPACT'}
UPA Lokayukta N. Krishnan Nair recommended to the Government cancellation of the appointments made to the assistant post in the Kerala University.

While delivering the judgment Upa Lokayukta has also recommended legal proceedings against the Vice-Chancellor M.K Ramachandran Nair, Pro-VC V. Jayaprakash and Syndicate Members A.A Rasheed, B.S Rajiv, M.P Russel and K.A Andrew as they were found guilty of favouritism, nepotism and political patronage. The recommendation has been forwarded to the Chancellor the Governor and the Pro-Chancellor the Education Minister.

Upa-Lokayukta has also directed the VC to constitute a new selection board excluding all members of the present board and a fresh test for all candidates who had already applied without insisting on any fresh application.

As pointed out by the Supreme Court "those who come by back door should go through that door" and so extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures, Nair said.

Honb’le Chief Minister,

 “To avoid Terrorism, Sex racketeering, Spirit mafia, Goonda activities and Hooliganism fromthe soil of Kerala, to a certain extent, please ban usage of black sun films in the wind screens ofmotor vehicles” 

Most of the motor vehicle owners are using black films on the glass of wind screens and rear window which causes road accidents and also gives room for illegal activities inside the vehicles.

 

Our Chief Minister, Home Minister, Transport Minister and the Chief Secretary do not use black films in the wind screens of their cars and maintains visual transmission of light inside the vehicle.

 

But, our police personnel, the DGPs, IGs, DIGs, SPs and the DySPs are behind the dark black wind screens in their vehicles without any vision, and plying through busy streets in a hide.

 

 During the mid sixties an honest and duty bound  Sub Inspector named Rhishikesan Nair was in the habit of frequent patrolling in his bullet motor cycle in uniform in the evening through the main centers of Quilon town. It was a fear (not a terror) to the culprits and hooligans and they used to abstain from the streets and the common men used to watch him with proud.

           

 Then why the DGPs to…..DySPs? The Public can see only the police constables up to the CIs who are in vigil in their vehicle. People want to see the DGPs up to DySPs are also in vigil, maintaining law and order. Just a vision of those in the top in uniform in public will certainly create a psycho effect in culprits.

 

            Almost all the goons are remained elusive, since the enactment of Goonda Act. But there are media reports that almost all of them are traveling in luxury cars with black wind screens. Terrorists, Sex racketeers, Spirit Mafias all are using black wind screen in their cars for illegal activities and transportation.

 

            Specifications have been prescribed in Rule 100 (2) of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 for standard of safety glass, percentage of visual transmission of light of the glass of the wind screen and rear window, according to which 50% of visual transmission of light inside the vehicle shall be maintained so as to see who are in the vehicle and what is happening inside the vehicle.

 

            So in order to enforce this there is no need of a fresh legislation, but Government has to instruct the Regional Transport Officers and Police to enforce these rules strictly and who ever contravenes the order shall be punished with fine under section 177 and suspension of their Registration Certificates under section 53 (1) (a) of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. This would start from our DGPs.

 

            On 10 – 12 – 2007 RIPF had applied RTI about the above said enforcement of rules and the Transport Department of the Secretariat had admitted through the reply in letter No.13022/B2/2007/Tran dated 10 – 1 – 2008 (copies enclosed) that Govt. is in the path of implementation of the provisions of Motor Vehicles Act and Rules.

 

            But nothing has been done. Sometimes the above file might have been in the waste box. Our request is to ban only black sun films and not other sun films that maintains 50% transparency enabling see through inside.  

 

            Expecting favorable initiative from the Honb’le Chief Minister. 

 

* The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s Speech in Hyderabad. *

Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.

Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a
self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign TVs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.

YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand .

Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr. Tinaikar, had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?

In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan.
Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.

We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.

We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.

When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?

What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.

Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us.

Thank you,

Dr. Abdul Kalam

CMP filed against top officials of Finance Depart for forgery and tampering of official records of “One Rank One Pension" File.

Please read our previous post: ‘Join the Legal Battle’

RIPF has filed a criminal case before the Hon’ble Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Thiruvananthapuram against former Finance Principal Secretary Jose Cyriac in the cadre of Addl. Chief Secretary now on central deputation and other top officials of Finance Department for forging and tampering of government records relating to the disposal file leading to 2006 Pension Revision ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme. The other accused are Finance Pension Wing former Additional Secretary Ponnamma Mathew, Additional Secretary D. Solamon, Deputy Secretary A. R. Ajayakumar, Accounts Officer S.V Kala, and Section Officer V. Ajayakumar.

The Hon’ble Court has initiated enquiry proceedings of the alleged forgery, tampering causing disappearance of evidence,destruction of documents to prevent its production as evidence, and has summoned two IAS officials former Expenditure Secretary Ishitha Roy (now district collectorKannur) former Finance Secretar in charge Sri. Paul Antony (present SC/ST Secretary)who arw witness in the case and who had been in the process of the file leading to 'One Rank One Pension' scheme.

The complaint petition alleged that the accused had manipulated the file pertaining to 'one rank one pension'scheme by tampering with 116 pages of the file with the intention of denying the benefit of the one rank one pension scheme to a section of the pensioners retired in between 1-7-2004 and 31-3-2004.

The case is posted for hearing on the 26th of July 2008.

CMP against top officials of Finance Depart for forgery and tampering of official records of “One Rank One File”

Please read our previous post: ‘Join the Legal Battle’

RIPF has filed the criminal case before the Hon’ble Judicial First Class Court III, Thiruvananthapuram against top officials of Finance Department including a top IAS officer who is in the cadre of Additional Chief Secretary, now on deputation to Central Service for forging and tampering of government records relating to the disposal file leading to 2006 Pension Revision ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme.

The Hon’ble Court has initiated enquiry proceedings of the alleged forgery, tampering and destruction of evidence and has summoned two IAS officials former Secretary in-charge and the Expenditure Secretary, Finance Department, the then Under Secretary and the Director of Treasuries who had included in the process of the file in question.

Please offer youe comments.

KERALA AMONG THE THREE HIGHLY CORRUPT STATES IN INDIA

A report brought out by Transparency International India (TI India) and the Centre for Media Studies (CMS) has revealed that Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are among the highly corrupt states, while only Andhra Pradesh features on the list of moderately corrupt states. The report has categorized various states into alarmingly corrupt, very highly corrupt, highly corrupt and moderately corrupt. Assam, Bihar, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Nagaland are in the category of alarmingly corrupt.

Sri. Hameed Ansari, Vice President, while releasing the report said that “corruption is pervasive and cancerous, eating at the very root of the social fabric of society.” Across the country, the total amount paid as bribes by rural BPL households in the last one year to avail the benefit of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) has been estimated at Rs.71.5 million. The study said that more than half the households paid bribes directly to the concerned government staff.

The police top the chart in terms of monetary contribution to corruption. The second highest among the surveyed services is land records and registration. The BPL households in India have paid a whopping Rs.9,000 million to avail the basic and need based public services. Five basic services – the public distribution system, hospital, school education electricity and water supply – and six need based services – NREGS, land records and registration, forest, housing, banking and police service – came under the purview of the study.

Chairman of the Centre for Media Studies N. Bhaskara Rao said that the RTI Act, social auditing and e-governance had helped significantly to bring down the level of corruption in our country.

Please see our post ‘Success Story’

After having published the short-list of candidates to the post of assistants on 9 – 10 – 2007 in response to our RTI application dated 6 – 8 – 2007 and the RTI appeal dated 9 – 9 – 2007 the Kerala University (K U) has gone ahead with the interview of 2114 persons for selection for the 400 vacancies during November 15 to December 20. K U Vice-Chancellor informed the media on 26 – 10 – 2007 that the total marks for the test and interview will be on a 75:25 ratio (against the norms of 20 marks fixed by the PSC) after analyzing factors like academic performance and extra-curricular activities and hand-writing, and the members of the interview board were picked strictly in accordance with the rules. The interview board consists of Vice-Chancellor M.K Ramachandran Nair and syndicate members (all of the CPM fellow-travelers and office bearers) B.S Rajiv, A.A Rasheed, K.A Andrew and M.P Russel. The mark for the written test was 100, but the selection committee decided to revise it to 75. So marks scored by the candidates have been proportionately reduced. This would mean that the marks for the interview would come to around 33.33 percent of the marks for written test. Those who scored upto 64 marks out of 100 in the written test were called for interview. The highest mark scored was 91. 150 appointments will be made in the first phase. One of the allegations was that some applicants with high marks in the written test were eliminated in the interview process.
After the selection process were completed one-third of 200 candidates who were selected for appointments to the post of assistants are either close relatives or associates of CPM link party men - daughter-in-laws, daughters, brothers, two children of pro-CPM private teachers organization AKPCTA, son and daughter of CPM local committee Secretary. One of the notable inclusions in the list is the daughter of the present opposition leader’s special private secretary’s daughter. Of the first 160 rank-holders in the list, 110 are from Thiruvananthapuram 15 are from the native place of a syndicate member, two are the neighbors of the VC and one is the nephew of the Pro-VC.
Flouting all the norms, the KU syndicate had authorized the VC to do the tabulation work of the assistant test which was done in the personal computer of VC. According to sources, the tabulation of the marks was personally monitored by him. The usual practice was to tabulate the marks of such examinations in the confidential room of the Registrar under his supervision. Now the UPA Lokayukta came out heavily on the KU for failing to produce OMR answer sheets and other related documents of the selection process and also suo moto included Pro-VC as the third accused in the case before it filed by a senate member of KU. The VC and the Registrar are the first and the second accused.

Present stage of the case: It is lagging before the toothless Lok Ayukta for the last three months without any decision

Suggestions by RIPF

There has been continuous knee-high flooding during the rainy season for the last fifteen years at Thampannoor, Pazhavangadi and East-Fort. Crores of rupees had been spent by our political masters and engineers to prevent the water-logging problem of the Capital City. The last one being the elevation of roads levels up to 3 Meters at Thampannoor, Power-house road and Pazhavangzdy culverts beyond the rail lines under which the canal flows ignoring the principle of “Thana Nilathe Neerodu”, the result of which was water-logging and flooding beyond knee-high at Pazhavangadi & Thampannoor during short duration intense rainfall.

Now it is the turn of the Cabinet Sub-committee to resolve a permanent solution to this water-logging. But Alas, in its first meeting they have again decided to constitute a technical committee involving top officials and engineers of PWD, Irrigation & LSGD to collate and study the proposals of various departments both urgent/temporary and long-term action. Trivandrum citizens know the inability of our engineers to find a solution to the flow of water in Thampannoor-Pazhavangadi-Thakaraparampu-Kannammoola-Amayizhanajn canal which passes through the heart of the city. This is the single major reason for the regular flooding. Is it again an attempt of a criminal waste of public money by our engineers, as in the past?

While the widening and improvement of the Thampannoor – Over bridge Road and the M.G. Road (PMG Melepazhavangady sector) and its drains & culverts are in progress, though at a snail’s pace, any temporary measures to prevent the flooding would become wastage of money. The City citizens are now in a mood to tolerate the ill deeds of the authorities. So think only about a permanent solution! Hence RIPF proposes the following suggestions:

CO-ORDINATION OF THE RAILWAYS:
Thiruvananthapuram Division of Southern Railway recorded the highest ever earning of Rs.611 crore for the year 2007-08 which is 21% more than the previous year and the major share is from Trivandrum station. Thampannoor railway station and its yard also faces flooding situation. The Thampannoor-Pazhavangady canal passes under the railway lines. The blunder of elevating the rail lines cannot be possible. So widening of the existing canal under rail-lines will be the first priority. State Government cannot tress-pass into the railway area and executes this work. So the Railways have enough funds to execute the work.

OUTSIDE HELP THROUGH CONSULTANCY / TECHNICAL EXPERTS:
So as to ensure smooth and free flow of water through the Amaizhanchan canal during the rainy season as well as the other season so as to prevent the water-logging problem and to find a way to remove pollutants from the water government will have look into the following issues:

1. A permanent solution is still to be evolved to deal with the pollution in Parvathy Puthanar to which the Amayizhanthan Thode is connected. (The sewage discharge from Valiathura to Parvathy Puthanar is posing a threat to water body and the high levels of pollution have created unsanitary conditions for the people.)

2. Evolve proper management of surface water drainage programme. (During the 60’s and 70’s there were the NMR system under PWD for the surface water drainage.) Long-term contracts for improvement and maintenance of the drains may be considered.

3. Outsourcing of periodical cleaning of the drains and cuverts of city roads to voluntary agencies like the FRAT and its supervision by the local resident associations. (Almost all the hotels (big & small) and multistoried institutions and flats releasing waste water into the drains. They had punchered the side of the drains to discharge the water.)

4. Stop illegal construction under the shadow of road – widening which affects the drains on road sides.

5. Avoid inordinate delay in execution of flood-management works because of the nexus between engineers and the contractors, resulting in massive cost over-run, stressing the need to evolve technologies which are low-cost.

6. Time bound (daily) programme for collection and removal of solid waste from the township area. (Dumping of waste results in unpleasant odour and air pollution; generation of leacha to polluting ground water and surface water and fly mosquito breeding.)

7. Implementation of the works in a transparent and accountable manner. The expenses would be put under the scanner by the implementation committee consisting of representatives of people, trading community, members of FRAT, Finance Inspection wing and the PWD Secretary and a social auditing considered to see that the contractors and engineers adhered to the best practices and that these practices were made transparent and accountable.

PRESCRIBE PUNITY MEASURES IN ADVANCE.

The citizens of Trivandrum need quality benchmarks and quality assurance, like the one as we have for the N.H. So Government would set certain guidelines so as to avoid irregular tender excess. Punity measures planned by Government against officials and Contractors who were responsible for cost – escalation in total disregard of the programmes should be prescribed in advance. Sincere efforts on the part of the officials and contractors will be rewarded. The past expenses, a day light robbery and blamed the collusion between unscrupulous contractors and corrupt bureaucrats. Prescribe initiation of criminal proceedings against delinquent engineers and contractors (prima facie found responsible) for their irregular dealing causing loss to the exchequer before effecting final payment. The amount will have to be recovered from the officials and contractors equally, giving no scope for a vigilance enquiry.

TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE IMPLEMENTATION:

We are all concerned about the fact that we invest crores every year in city road construction, improvements and maintenance and yet every monsoon our city roads get worn out. A major reason for the poor quality of road works was corruption. The City Roads Improvement Programme (CRIP) had come three years ago. However, the much heralded projects with sugar – coated assurances died a slow painful death owing entirely to the laxity of the authorities.

To prevent time and cost over-runs the work of prevention of water logging in the Capital City, Government may explore the possibility of entrusting the work with outside technology through the formation of a “Special Purpose Vehicle” (SPV) under public – private partnership on a priority basis.