Former Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) Chairman N. Venugopal, beleaguered by insinuating reports over missing valuables from the GCDA guest house, said on Tuesday that he had not appropriated any property belonging to the agency.
He was addressing a press conference here on Tuesday. He said the ongoing ‘vilification campaign’ despite the new Chairman’s statement on missing valuables, had compelled him to openly argue his case.
The GCDA’s new Chairman had stated that the valuables went missing after the former chairman submitted the verified list of items at the guest house, he said.
Listing out the items in the guest house worth ₹2.50 lakh bought during his term, Mr. Venugopal said the maintenance assistant engineer had verified the list in a day-long exercise after he stepped down on May 24 last year. “One doormat and three brooms were found missing, which I had volunteered to replace with new ones. I had even donated curtains and a small refrigerator to the agency,” he said.
“A sofa set, five chairs and an air conditioner were shifted to the GCDA’s aqua tourism project at Mundamveli. How some of the items, including an air conditioner, that had gone missing reappeared should also be probed. Security personnel at the Collector’s residence near the guest house will certainly know who returned those items,” Mr. Venugopal said.
He said the abandoned, rundown building, which was used for storing construction equipment by contractors for the past 17 years, had been made inhabitable at a cost of ₹38 lakh. But this was after adding ₹1.90 crore to the GCDA exchequer through the auction of two apartments originally assigned for the chairman and the secretary, but were embroiled in some controversies, he said.
Land controversy
He shot down the allegations of swapping of high value land for low value plots and underselling GCDA land in the name of development projects. He said three main roads had been constructed during his term – the one from Koyithara Bridge to Shasthri Nagar Bridge, Ambedkar Road and Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer Road.
“Not a penny or land in exchange was given either for the 35 cents acquired for Ambedkar Road or the 39 cents for the V.R. Krishna Iyer Road. The exchange of land for the 53 cents for the latter had taken place before my term. Only, the audit report containing critical remarks about this exchange happened to be published during my term,” he added.
The chairman or the executive committee had not intervened in the collection of rent of GCDA buildings, which were leased out for 99 years and five years. The vacant rooms were auctioned off on the 10th of every month.
Justifying his two signature projects – the laser show at Rajendra Maidan and the aqua tourism project at Mundamveli – Mr. Venugopal said the ticket fare for the projects had to be brought down from the original Rs.150 and Rs.100 to Rs.70 and Rs.30 respectively at the instance of late jurist V.R. Krishna Iyer. He also blamed the GCDA staff for the neglect meted out to the project during the past six months.
“The site at Mundamveli was a waste dumping yard, including toilet and slaughter house waste, before it was utilised for the project,” he said.