This division includes the heavyweight constituencies ofMargao, Fatorda, Nuvem, Dabolim and Cortalim and the all-important Navelim.
A two month long investigation by The Goan, has gone in tothe very recesses of the PWD’s tender allotment spree, in complete violation ofrules and norms and in a manner that clearly indicates a very high level ofcorruption. While the manner and extent of this looting spree has been detailedin a separate part of this package, the pre-election tender spree indicates thebrazenness of what is nothing short of official dacoity.
Take a moment to grasp this. The PWD department is spreadover 25 divisions, each looking after a cluster of constituencies, or areas,including divisions for its allied services like water works. The Goan during its course of inspectingvarious files and work orders discovered that in just one of those divisions “division six, 214 work orders and agreement orders for planned and non-plannedworks at an inhuman speed.
The tenders(work order/agreement numbers) 422-655 on the works register are all datedDecember 22 and 23, 2011. The total value of the actual cost, Rs 60,17,34,548.
One of the officials of the division, who The Goan will refer to as ‘Tender Throat’ (In humble deference ofDeep Throat, the source of information of the infamous Watergate scandal) disclosed“We were ordered to clear those tenders and we went mad. We just issued thoseorders blindly to contractors who had lined up, without checking as we had toclear them before the code of conduct came into force.”
“Executive engineers bear the brunt when scams are exposed,because we are forced to abide by verbal orders from the top”, said Tender Throat.“From whom?,” we ask. “Do you need to even ask?” comes the reply.
Let’s put the information in context. The total number oftenders issued in division six in the financial year 11-12 is 655. If 214 wereissued in two days, that makes it 32.6% of the entire year’s work, which wastendered in just 48 hours, before the election code of conduct. This wasobviously the last roll of the dice for politicians who received huge kickbacks.
Secondly, while investigations are still on, The Goan decided to do a very modestcalculation of the projected spends across on December 22 and 23 in Goa keepingthe division six amount as the base. While 60 crores was spent in division 6, The Goan has kept a ridiculously lowestimate of an average Rs 5 crores ofworks tendered in each of the remaining 24 divisions in those two days, takingthe total amount tendered (in 24 divisions) to Rs 120 crores. This, plus the Rs 60 crores in division six takes itto Rs 180 crores of tendered works in 2 days before the code of conduct.
Now the total budget of the PWD for the year 2011-12 was Rs957 crores. So a rough ballpark assumption is that about 18% of PWD’s annualbudget was tendered in two days.
But perhaps the real truth is far grimmer, since the abovefigures were based on very modest calculations. The hard reality could be thatthe PWD sanctioned works far in excess of its budget, which perhaps explainsthe Rs 460 crore odd unpaid bills which the Manohar Parrikar government had toinherit.
There’s another reality. The truth is in the detail and yournewspaper has dug out details which gives no scope for the guilty to escape.The shocking stories of how multiple tenders were issued for the same stretchesunder different heads how different tenders issued on the same day dividedbetween pet contractors of politicians, who bid for two tenders each winningand losing one and other sadder twists, are all there for you to read.
