Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jul 8: Leader of the opposition in the city corporation here, Abdul Rauf, has alleged irregularities in floating of some tenders and executing certain works under the Smart City Project which are going on in the city limits in spite of coronavirus scare.
Speaking at a press meet held here on Tuesday, July 7, Rauf claimed that the smart city project here was envisaged with emphasis on fisheries and tourism. "But works are not moving with these issues in focus. Works are being executed in violation of the detailed project report prepared for the project," he charged.
He said that tender for the road from regional transport office to the Mini Vidhana Soudha had been floated for Rs 7.5 crore, but it was cancelled all of a sudden. "Instead of blacklisting a contractor whose contract got cancelled because of his fault, tender worth Rs 6.5 crore has been given to the same contractor to erect temporary sheds for central market vendors. As the central market is closed, the merchants have been driven to streets for the last four months. Temporary shed work had been started at Nehru Maidan but the Football Association has brought stay to the work by approaching the high court. The BJP is whiling away people's money in this way," he claimed.
Rauf also said that mentioning tender amount at five times the actual cost in respect of tender relating to Kadri road has given rise to doubts. He also claimed that by including the name of a contractor close to the ruling party in the tender, the tender rules have been flouted.
"Tender had been sanctioned for Rs 35 crore in respect of indoor stadium at Mangala Stadium. The technical bid was also invited. But now, without calling for financial bid, they plan to cancel this tender. The work of digging concreted roads to lay underground drainage is on at various places including car street," he pointed out.
He also stated that there were irregularities in respect of 37-bed contract in the super speciality hospital in Wenlock Hospital.
City corporators M Shashdhar Hegde, Bhaskar K, Lancelot Pinto, Pravinchandra Alva, Vinay Raj, Jacinta Alfred, Keshava Maroli, Naveen D'Souza and others were present.