Lokayukta police search PWD engineer's office

The Lokayukta police on Thursday searched the office of executive engineer of Public Works Department (PWD) here in connection with alleged irregularities in grants in the special component plan and other works in three taluks in Bengaluru Rural district.

They seized 550 files

pertaining to the alleged scam and are questioning three officials. According to the complaint by B Shankar—a contractor from Uttarahalli in Bengaluru North—the executive engineer’s office had to distribute works costing up to Rs 7.97 crore in Doddaballapura, Devanahalli and Nelamangala taluks.

The complainant alleged that the executive engineer and two other officials violated the rules and split the work into works worth Rs five lakh each and were about to issue work orders. Sources said that three separate tenders were invited on October 23, 25 and 28 from eligible contractors for taking up 102 different works under Bengaluru Rural district and other roads, including Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe basic infrastructure development component amounting to Rs 7.97 crore.

The last dates for receiving the sealed tenders were October 25, 27 and 29 respectively. The tenders had to be opened on the closing date and the lowest bidder should have been awarded the work.

The complainant alleged that the office of the executive engineer indulged in corruption and violated rules during the tender process.

It, however, did not release the work orders. The Lokayukta police registered an FIR under sections 13 (1) (c), 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 420 (cheating) of the IPC. They obtained a search warrant on Thursday and raided the office at K R Circle.

“We have seized around 550 files pertaining to the case. It was found that the office had not maintained the register of the tenders received. The complainant had also alleged that the advertisement inviting tenders were not published in any newspaper in Bengaluru city. During the search, several procedural lapses and corruption in award of tenders came to our notice,” an official said.

The Lokayukta police questioned the concerned executive engineer, the assistant executive engineer and the office staff who were allegedly involved in the process. Sources said that one of the staff members was absconding.