(This is verbatim transcript of the audio recording without copy editing)
TG: The ex PWD minister says you should be punished if wrongdoings were committed in the tenderprocess
Anil Ringane: “Suddenly one time came. Elections will happen soon.There was a hurry from all quarters. Not just my office but all office of PWD.Normally Ministers approval is always there no. He is our Boss Minister. Todaywhatever tenders or I give I have to take Ministers permission. Those things arealways there on recording file. In my notings it will be there that on this isbeing accepted by the Hon’ble Minister on this this day. My approval note isthere. In all the works that was approved even if worth Rs 1 lakh, the MLA’spriority was taken signed by Hon’ble Minister to take up this work. All 214 works had Ministers approval”.
TG: Did the minister tell you to hurry up?
Ringane: The minister and the CMrequested me to clear all the files. MLAs kept callingme during the 8 day period. PWD Minister’s PA used to carrythe cleared files and come over to issuework orders. It was a question of their life. All workvalued over Rs 15 crores was sanctioned in this year. All were tenderedand lying in the CE’s office. All works weretendered but orders were not issued. I told all contractors not to start anywork till the work orders were issued. Evenmy Suprintending Engineer Parsekar, Chief Engineer CHimulkar wanted the worksto be done quickly.
“Last moment last 10 days before the elections were to beannounced, every MLA was after their own works. Cortalim MLA told me why areyou holding my works. Everybody was forcing. The reason also you know why eachfile was routed through former Minister”
TG: How can you actually issue 200 tenders in two days?
Ringane: Tenders were floated way back. They did not all go on the lastday. The sanctioning of these jobs takes at least 7-8 months. I did not sign on those two days. . Approvalswere issued from December 19 to 23. I hadsigned them between the 19th and the 23rd. Mystaff was on leave due to election duty.
TG: Several of these works werein the vicinity of 10 lakhs. How many were non-planned worksin the 214 workorders issued?
Ringane: Of the total work orders worth Rs. 60 crores, onethird would be non-planned totalling 20 crores.Perhaps even less than 10 crores. Each constituency would have about Rs1 crore
TG: On an average day, how many work orders are issued?
Ringane: Even I can issue 100 on a day, orders just have to besigned. We have done the same in earlier elections too. Numbers were given onthat day. I had signed them over a couple of days.
TG: We have cases of tenders for an entire area being released and otherstenders for smaller stretches in the same constituency being tendered.
No. For any estimate there will be a drawing. We cannot work without a drawing. I amresponsible for the amount sanctioned for the project. No roads were redone.We had 100s of works cancelled. Every division has atleast one short termtender.
The Goan responds
- It’s clear from Ringnes comments that the Minister andall MLA’s including the Chief Minister actively pushed for so many works to betendered. Since these road works wouldn’t be complete in the election what wasthe crazy hurry? Did politicians do it get electoral benefits or just betterfinancial returns? This is in line with the Chief Ministers statement to The Goan that he has receivedcomplaints of a 25% kickback for all PWD tenders.
- If the Minister's PA indeed travelled with files tovarious divisions asking for work orders to be issued, how can we be sure thatthe rendering process was not hostage to a mutual fixing between contractors,engineers, ministers and MLA’s
- The line that all work orders were not signed on Dec22-23 is not good enough. He himself says all approvals were given between Dec19-23. So the pre election push has to be questioned, since sources tell us that most of the orders wereissued around Dec 27 and 27 and backdated. This is a criminal offence.
