Delhi Vigilance suggests probe in classroom development rip-off by AAP govt

In a significant shocker to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi AAP authorities, the vigilance directorate has advisable an in depth investigation by a specialised company into the alleged irregularities and corruption by the Kejriwal authorities within the development of two,405 school rooms in 194 authorities faculties in Delhi. 

The Delhi authorities’s vigilance directorate has submitted the report concerning the alleged rip-off to the chief secretary. The Delhi vigilance directorate (DoV) has additionally advisable “fixing responsibilities” of the Education Department and PWD officers concerned within the alleged mishandling amounting to just about Rs 1,300 crore.

The Vigilance Directorate advisable that the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) think about its findings, in addition to responses from the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Delhi authorities’s Education Department.

Vigilance directorate has advisable probe by “specialised agency” into alleged irregularities in development of school rooms for Delhi authorities faculties, claiming it concerned a “scam of Rs 1,300 crore”, mentioned official sources

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 25, 2022

The Central Vigilance Commission had outlined “grave irregularities” within the Public Works Department’s (PWD) development of over 2,400 school rooms in Delhi authorities faculties in a report dated February 17, 2020.

Notably, the CVC despatched the report back to the Delhi authorities’s vigilance directorate in February 2020, requesting feedback on the matter. However, the AAP authorities didn’t take the report significantly till August this yr, when Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena directed the Chief Secretary to analyze the delay and submit a report.

Highlighting the findings of the DoV report, the Central Vigilance Commission in its report mentioned that apart from a number of procedural lapses and violation of guidelines and manuals to tamper with the tender course of, the DoV report outlined the “role of private agencies/persons namely ‘M/s Babbar and Babbar Associates,’ who despite not being appointed as a consultant, attended an important meeting held on June 21, 2016, in the chamber of the then PWD Minister and influenced the Minister for post-tender changes done in the work contracts in the name of ‘richer specifications’ resulting in additional financial ramifications of Rs 205.45 crore.”

The report additional states that extra-constitutional individuals/companies had been dictating phrases to authorities officers, and the complete administration at each, coverage and the chief stage was implementing their instructions. This goes in clear violation of the Transaction of Business Rules (TBR), 1993, and different guidelines and tips. Such an method will lead to “administrative anarchy and chaos.”

Notably, in April 2015, CM Arvind Kejriwal directed the development of further school rooms in Delhi authorities faculties. The PWD was tasked with constructing 2405 school rooms in 193 faculties. It carried out a survey to find out classroom necessities and projected a complete requirement of 7180 equal school rooms (ECR) in 194 faculties, almost 3 times the requirement of 2405 school rooms.

On August 25, 2019, CVC obtained a grievance about irregularities and value overruns in classroom development. Without calling a young, the development prices elevated by as much as 90% within the identify of “richer specifications.” The Delhi authorities accredited a Rs 500 crore price enhance and not using a tender.

As per the observations of the CVC investigation report, tenders had been floated for the works that had been initially proposed and accredited, however the awarded contract worth later differed by 17% to 90% as a consequence of “richer specifications.”

Consequently, the price elevated to Rs.326.25 crore, which is 53% greater than the tender award quantity.

“With an additional expenditure of Rs 37 crore, 1214 toilets were built in 194 schools, compared to the requirement of 160 toilets. The Delhi government counted toilets and projected them as classrooms. In 141 schools, only 4027 classrooms were built. The sanctioned amount for these projects was Rs.989.26 crore, and the total tender value was Rs 860.63 crore, but the actual expenditure was Rs 1315.57 crore. No new tender was called, but the additional work was completed. A number of works were left unfinished. Serious violation of the GFR, the CPWD Works Manual, and the CVC Guidelines,” the CVC report mentioned.