4 construction firms in Yanam blacklisted

PUDUCHERRY: The PWD has blacklisted four construction companies and banned their official dealings with the PWD for a period of three years from the date of issue of the  notice for alleged irregularities in the construction of water treatment plants and gryones at Yanam on the recommendations of Anti-Corruption Branch of CBI in Chennai. As per the notice issued by PWD chief engineer S Manohar, (posted on government website without a date) M V S Suryanarayana Raju and  others, Kakinada, Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd, Hyderabad, Subramanyam Raju, Hyderabad and Maytas Infra Pvt,Ltd, Hyderabad,  have been  blacklisted after issuing a show cause notice earlier in connection with alleged irregularities committed in the execution of the three works earlier.  The work involved design and construction of  two MLD (million litres per day), three MLD and four MLD capacity water treatment plants and other connected works at Dariyalathippa village in Yanam. The work also involved protecting the left bank of Godavari river between 1730 metres to 2890 metres chainage with five groynes in Francethippa, Yanam. The work was taken up in 2005-2006. The charge against the four companies is that they had sublet the work in violation of contract agreement for execution of work. Nagarjuna Construction Company Limited and M V S Suryanarayana Raju and  others have submitted their explanation in this regard vide their letter dated  March 23,2011 and dated nil. But Maytas Infra have not submitted any explanation within specified date and the show cause notice issued to Subramanyam Raju has been returned with endorsement that the addressee  was not traceable. The department had already taken action on PWD executive engineer Mohan, assistant engineer Hariharababu and junior engineer Jothiraj by  placing them under suspension in August 2011 based on the recommendation of CBI. The orders have been issued by Under Secretary (Works) on August 8. The local unit of AIADMK had demanded that the purview of the inquiry conducted by the CBI at Yanam should  encompass the chief minister and minister concerned. A Anbazhagan, secretary of the local unit,   said that suspending only a few officials of PWD was not the solution. All those beyond the officials  connected with the water treatment plant at Yanam  should be investigated. The case is now pending in a Puducherry court.