Isaac’s charge against Mani, Kunju

T.M. Thomas Isaac of the CPI(M) has alleged the involvement of Public Works Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju and Finance Minister K.M. Mani in the “corruption through tender excess practised in the Public Works Department (PWD).”

Participating in the discussion on supplementary demands for grants in the Budget in the Assembly on Tuesday, Dr. Isaac alleged that IAS officer T.O. Sooraj, who had been suspended from service following a report from the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau that he had amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income, had indulged in corruption as the Public Works Secretary with the complicity of Mr. Ebrahim Kunju and Mr. Mani.

Dr. Isaac said that, as per the rules and procedures, tender excess over any project with an outlay of Rs.10 crore or above could be approved only after the Public Works Minister and Finance Minister had approved it.

CAG audit

He noted that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, who had subjected 50 PWD projects to audit, had exposed the irregularity in awarding tender excess. In some cases the excess payments sanctioned exceeded 200 per cent of the tender amount.

He said more than Rs.1,500 crore had gone out of the exchequer by way of tender excess thus awarded.

He also said that the PWD had employed the Kerala State Construction Corporation (KSCC), a State public sector company, to bypass tender proceedings in the execution of projects. The PWD entrusted projects with a total outlay of nearly Rs.1,700 crore to the KSCC for being executed through the latter’s empanelled contractors without going through any tender process.

Sivankutty’s charge

V. Sivankutty of the CPI(M) alleged corruption behind the concessions offered by the Finance Minister in the Budget to quarry owners, builders, gold merchants, and bakery owners. Deputy Leader of the Opposition Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who anchored the Opposition attack on the government, said Mr. Mani’s continuance as Finance Minister had become untenable since had been arraigned as accused in the liquor shop bribery case by the VACB.