KSTP director P G Suresh suspended

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ever since he assumed charge,

PWD

minister G Sudhakaran has shown zero tolerance towards

corruption

. When vigilance wing of PWD submitted a report showing major discrepancies in the work executed under the second phase of

Kerala State Transport Project

(KSTP-II), his immediate action was to suspend project director P G Suresh. However, it seems that the minister has hit the wrong target.

P G Suresh was replaced by

Road Infrastructure Company Kerala Limited

managing director J Raveendran, who in fact was the one who approved all the faulty deals in his earlier capacity as chief engineer. at KSTP

Based on the report submitted by the PWD vigilance wing, which said that detailed project reports (DPRs) of various works under the World Bank-funded KSTP-II were unrealistic causing major loss to exchequer, the minister had ordered a vigilance inquiry into the previous three year activities of KSTP.

The vigilance wing of PWD, which conducted a preliminary inquiry, had pointed fingers at unscientific preparation of DPR for Thiruvalla bypass and Ponkunnam-Thodupuzha road, which resulted in cost overrun.

For Ponkunnam road, the DPR has assessed a requirement of 1,800 m3 rock for blasting. However, the work required blasting of more than 88,000 m3 of rock so far. "More rock had to be blasted for road widening, which surprisingly the consultant who prepared the DPR did not see," sources said.

In case of the Thiruvallam bypass in Chengannur-Ettumanoor road, the revised estimate submitted by the contractor of the work EKK Infrastructure Private Limited is 100 % higher than the original estimate. The vigilance has also accused KSTP officials for not taking enough care while checking DPR of the Thiruvalla bypass where an unnecessary S curve has been formed.

Justifying the suspension of project director P G Suresh, PWD minister G Sudhakaran said that Suresh did not inform the government when the DPR was revised.

"In case of the Ponkunnam-Thodupuzha road, the government was not informed about blasting the rock more than that is mentioned in the DPR. In addition to that, there are complaints against Suresh with regard to land acquisition," he said.

Sudhakaran said thatcharge given to Raveendran was temporary and role of all previous chief engineers has been brought under the scanner.

He said vigilance will inquire the role of consultants who prepared the DPR.