Puducherry: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy offered to provide all details about the modalities adopted in awarding contract for constructing a nursing hostel on the premises of the upcoming Government Medical College.

A. Anbalagan (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) protested against the contract given to a contractor at a cost of Rs.1,900 per square foot.

Health Minister E. Valsaraj earlier told the member that the total cost would be Rs. 32.60 crore. He also told the member that the expenditure would be Rs.1,900 a square foot.

This gave rise to criticism from Mr. Anbalagan and from Lakshminarayanan (Puducherry Munnetra Congress) and Nanda T. Saravanan (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam). Mr. Lakshmianrayanan wanted an enquiry into the norms adopted for awarding the contract.

Mr. Saravanan said that even if they used costly woods such as teak, the expenditure would not go beyond Rs.1,000 a square foot. Mr. Anbalagan questioned the formation of a society to run the medical college. Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, asking the member to keep restraint, said that he was prepared to give all details about the assignment of contract through the Speaker.

Mr. Anbalagan and Mr. Lakshminarayanan, however, reiterated that there was no proper procedure adopted in sanction of the contract and hence a probe was absolutely necessary. A heated debate followed between Mr. Anbalagan and the Chief Minster at one point, drowning the House in noisy scenes for some time.

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