Kerala - Kannur   

Muneer flays agreement with Pati BEL

KANNUR: Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and former Public Works Minister M.K. Muneer has said that the fresh agreement with Pati BEL to complete phase one of the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) has been forged through negotiation and not on the basis of any proper contract.

Dr. Muneer told a press conference here on Thursday that the Malaysian company, which had been sought to be blacklisted by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government earlier, had not participated when the government decided to re-tender the work. The fresh agreement with the company that allowed huge cost escalation and contained arbitration provision was reached at through negotiation, he said.

Dr. Muneer said that the government owed an explanation on the reasons for including Pati BEL in the blacklist in the first place and also for handing over the work to the same company. He also said that the government should also inquire into the cause of the death of the company’s top official in charge of the KSTP.

An inquiry should be conducted to find out those responsible for the delay in acquiring land for the project, he added.

The former Minister said that it was the previous LDF government that had invited tenders for the work in February 2001.

The government had then short listed companies for the work, he said adding that the United Democratic Front government that came to power in May 2001 had only selected Pati BEL from the shortlist.

He said that the LDF government that had alleged corruption in the KSTP project was yet to give evidence to prove its charges.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau was yet to submit its preliminary report, he said. He claimed that 80 per cent of land acquisition for the work had been completed during the UDF rule as the government had appointed a special speed track officer to complete the acquisition work.

Dr. Muneer said that Finance Department officials were the culprits responsible for the cost escalation.

If the negotiation had been done one-and-a-half year ago, the cost escalation could have been averted, he added.

He also urged the State government to exert pressure on the Railways to complete its portion of the work on 40 railway over bridges.

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