The Hindu : Kerala News : Former KLDC MD charge-sheeted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Former KLDC MD charge-sheeted

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 31. The Vigilance Department has filed a charge-sheet in the Special Court here against the former Managing Director of the Kerala Land Development Corporation (KLDC), S. Haneef Rawther, and five others, accusing them of causing a loss of Rs. 10.76 lakhs to the Government in the execution of infrastructure development work at Ala panchayat in Alappuzha district.

The other accused are P. S. Venugopal, former project engineer, M. Laila, former deputy project engineer, A. Mrithunjayan, former assistant project engineer, S. Vinod, former overseer, Grade II, and S. Santhosh, contractor.

The fourth accused, Mrithunjayan, is no longer alive.

The case was registered in September 2002, after a surprise check revealed grave irregularities in the affairs of the corporation. According to the charge-sheet, Rawther awarded the contract for infrastructure development work in the Paraleyil padasekharam in Ala panchayat to Santhosh at higher rates without inviting competitive bids.

Conspiracy

Rawther did not have the legal authority to give technical sanction for the work, the charge-sheet said. As part of a conspiracy, the accused officials allowed the contractor to carry out less than the specified amount of work and made false measurements to help him.

Flouting norms

Rawther paid Rs. 14.96 lakhs to the contractor without retaining 10 per cent of the bill amount with the corporation as required. The actual quantity of works executed came to only Rs. 4.96 lakhs and thus the corporation sustained a loss of Rs. 10.76 lakhs.

The charge-sheet was filed by the Vigilance Dy.SP, K. Sreekumaran Nair.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala