Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): CAG has pointed out that the MP Road Development Corporation (RDC) allotted worth crores of rupees to a consultant without any tender. CAG told the government to set up an inquiry and act against the guilty officials. According to CAG report, in the period between October and December 2022, for the projects of Asian Development Bank (ADB), there was a contract worth Rs 26.34 crore with two firms, Intercontinental Consultants and Technocrats Private Ltd for six packages.
Similarly, a contract was signed with Bloom Companies LLC Private Limited for six packages worth Rs 19, 99 crore. The RDC gave these firms additional contract of Rs 21.96 crore without any tender. There was neither any tender nor any expression of interest (EOI) report for giving extra work to these firms.
According to CAG, for consultancy over Rs 25 lakh, it is necessary to bring EOI report and float public tender. In the CAG report, it was also said that the government did not send any reply to this objection. CAG report also pointed out that RDC had committed irregularities by making extra payment to the contractors.
According to CAG report, those who got the contract for road work were given extra amount of Rs 50 crore. Apart from that, a sum of over Rs 100 crore, which was to be recovered from the contractors, was not taken from them.
The contractors had to use fly ash for building seven roads, but they used it only for four roads. But they presented the bills worth Rs 30 crore for putting fly ash on seven roads. In this way, they took extra payment, the CAG report said. Because many projects got delayed, a penalty was to be imposed on the contractors, but nothing was done. The CAG also raised the issue of a bogus payment.
Lack of coordination between WRD, RDC causes loss of Rs 5cr to govt
A three-kilometer road was to be constructed as part of the Banda irrigation project on Dhasan River. The road constructed after approval came within the submergence area of the river. So, RDC has to bear a loss of Rs 5.25 crore.