Kerala   

Appointment of retired engineers draws flak

THIRVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC) is understood to have appointed two retired engineers to construct multiplexes in Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus stations after ignoring the government directive to recruit staff through the Public Service Commission (PSC).

A retired deputy chief engineer of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is understood to have been appointed as project coordinator of the build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects of the KSRTC to be executed by the KTDFC.

A retired chief engineer of KSEB, who was working in the KSRTC on deputation, had also been posted as the chief engineer (BOT projects). He retired from service in October last.

The multiplexes (shopping complexes) are to come up in Angamaly, Thiruvananthapuram Central, Fort, Peroorkada, Kozhikode and Malappuram bus stations of the KSRTC.

One of the engineers appointed on re-employment basis till the completion of the BOT projects is learnt to be a mechanical graduate. The appointments are a clear violation of rules. It has been pointed out that the PSC never recruits engineers of other trades for the implementation of civil works.

The experience of these engineers is their partial involvement in the construction of Trans Towers, which houses KTDFC headquarters and Motor Vehicles Department, at Vazhuthacaud in the capital. The chief engineer (BOT projects) was holding additional charge of the KTDFC headquarters building when he was working as chief engineer of the KSRTC on deputation.

These engineers are also learnt to have advertised and are trying to rope in manpower recruiting agencies for hiring the required staff for supervising the civil works. “They are functioning as per the procedures adopted by the private organisations and are even questioning the existence of the PSC,” sources said.

The chief engineer (BOT projects) has been given sweeping powers. The powers include preparing commercial feasibility reports on each project, lead evaluation of tenders, assessing requirements of service providers, to represent the KTDFC in meetings and before any authorities, including courts and signing of documents and affidavits.

The procedures in the Public Works Department (PWD) manual and the Government Orders to be followed in the design and execution of major civil projects are also learnt to have not been followed. The basic rules to be observed while implementing BOT projects such as time, funds, return on investment, period of BOT had also not been made public.

The KTDFC does not have the technical staff to take up this kind of work. The financial capability of the KTDFC, a non-banking financial company of the government, to make this huge investment had also not been evaluated, it has been pointed out. The Managing Director of the KTDFC was not available for comment.

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