A preliminary inquiry conducted by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has squarely blamed former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and former Chief Secretary Bharath Bhushan for having “illegally” approved the shifting of a 53-year-old sewerage main to help a realtor appropriate prime public land to construct a high-rise condominium at Pattoor in Thiruvananthapuram.
The report says the initial machinations of suspect builder, T.S. Asok, to shift the sewerage line that bisected the property was thwarted in 2008 by the rule-based intervention of Kerala Water Authority managing director Asok Singh.
Not to be deterred, Mr. Asok pursued his goal through “illegal means” and persuaded the government to constitute a committee to vet his demand again.
However, a cautionary report from the VACB that public land was at stake prevented the government from acceding to the builder’s demand.
Meanwhile in 2014, two KWA engineers, “without any authority”, reported that the sewerage main passed through the builder’s land.
The KWA did not endorse the finding.
Ex-CS accepted report
However, Mr. Bhushan “accepted the report” and recorded “evasively” that it “appeared” the land through which sewerage line passed was “not government land”. He also noted that it “appeared just and proper” that the pipeline should be shifted out of the “realtor’s land” so that it did not pose a hindrance to his plans.
Mr. Bhushan also ordered that the builder bear the cost for reorienting the pipeline. Mr. Chandy “approved” Mr. Bhushan’s order.
The sewerage main was shifted in 2014 despite several cautionary reports.
Pecuniary advantage
The VACB said the suspects had violated the Kerala Water Supply and Sewerage Act, kept the Water Resources Department in the dark, and accorded undue pecuniary advantage to the builder at the cost of the public exchequer.
