The Madras High Court has issued a notice to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) regarding a public interest writ petition that seeks a vigilance probe into suspected financial irregularities amounting to more than ₹90 lakh in the construction of a bridge across the Otteri Nullah canal in Chennai.
Details of the PIL
The PIL was filed by Prabhakaran, a resident of Choolaimedu. The petition alleges collusion between retired and current engineers and the contractor, resulting in a loss to the public exchequer. The irregularities pertain to the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge connecting Aspiran Garden 2nd Street and Kilpauk Garden Road.
Financial Allocation Breakdown
According to the plea, the total allocation for the bridge project was ₹92.21 lakh. This included ₹20 lakh for land acquisition, ₹20 lakh for installation of streetlights, ₹20.25 lakh for shifting utility materials, and ₹31.91 lakh towards other expenses.
Claims Under RTI
However, the petitioner contended that information obtained under the Right to Information Act revealed that no land acquisition work had been carried out except for the removal of encroachments. Additionally, only ₹11,470 had been spent on the installation of lights, far less than the allocated amount.
Lack of Action on Complaint
The petition also highlighted that no action had been taken on a complaint submitted to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on April 8, which sought action against the officials concerned.
Court's Directive
Recording the submissions, the division bench comprising judges G R Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan directed the GCC to file its response. The hearing has been adjourned to the following week.
