Former Public Works Secretary T.O. Sooraj in a bail petition filed before the Kerala High Court on Tuesday said it was the then Public Works Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju who accorded sanction for release of ₹8.25 crore as mobilisation advance without any interest to the contracting company entrusted with the construction of the Palarivattom flyover.
He said the specific allegation levelled by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) against him in the corruption case was that even though there was no provision in the agreement executed between the contracting firm and the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) for granting mobilisation advance, the petitioner had ordered release of an advance amount of ₹8,25,59,768 to the contractor.
He was also charged with collecting only a meagre rate of 7% interest on the mobilisation amount.
VACB charge
The VACB further alleged that despite an agreement executed between the contractor and the RBDCK to recover the advance at the rate of 30% from every bill submitted by the contractor, he had directed to recover only 10% of the advance amount from each bill.
He had thus abused his official position and caused a loss to the government in the construction of the flyover.
Mr. Sooraj submitted in his petition that the contractor gave an application to the RBDCK to provide an advance for the uninterrupted work of the flyover.
It was considered by the Assistant Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and the Additional Secretary, including a senior IAS officer, at various levels and forwarded to Mr. Sooraj for consideration.
He had made an endorsement and forwarded it to Mr. Kunju for his decision.
“The Minister decided to accord sanction for release of advance and ordered to release ₹8,25,59,768 without any interest. There was no direction in the order passed by the Minister to charge interest on the advance amount,” submitted Mr. Sooraj.
