Maha contractor reveals corruption in dam construction, says 22% of dam cost paid as bribe

Pune, Dec 20: A Pune-based contractor has revealed how bribes are paid to get dam contracts in the state of Maharashtra. Almost 22 per cent of the project cost is offered as kickbacks in order to get the work done, the contractor in a letter to the Devendra Fadnavis government has revealed. From a lowly clerk to the politicians everyone have their share in the bribe paid by construction companies.

As per a report published in

, the contractor, whose identity is being withheld by the newspaper on his request, wrote a strong letter to the state government and governor recently, highlighting the modus operandi in the scam-tainted department.

Exposing the deeply rooted corruption in the state's construction business, the contractor's letter has alleged that bribes are paid to the tender clerk, the accountant and staff of the respective divisions, the executive engineer, superintending engineer and his staff, chief engineer, executive engineer, executive director, secretary, chairman of the corporation and local MLA.

"All of them are entertained by the bidders, who give them cash fixed by the department unofficially," said the letter.

These amounts are paid just to procure the work order. But more money is demanded after the work is awarded. Officials who clear bills of contractors, too want their cut, said the report.

Last week, the state's Anti-Corruption Bureau was asked by Devendra Fadnavis government to institute 'open inquiries' against former Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and state NCP president Sunil Tatkare in connection with alleged corruption and irregularities in execution of various irrigation projects during their tenure as Water Resource Ministers.

The state government had also ordered probe against irrigation department officials and contractors responsible for alleged irregularities.

"I have been authorised by Chief Minister of Maharashtra to state that he has cleared open inquiries by ACB against Ajit Pawar, Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal,"Advocate General Sunil Manohar told the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court.

Manohar said Fadnavis had asked the ACB to go ahead with probe against the three top NCP leaders in the alleged scams in which several thousand crores of rupees were siphoned off with the connivance of greedy contractors and pliant officials.

OneIndia News