PUDUCHERRY: An FIR filed by the CBI against Ragesh Chandra, Director of Project Implementation Agency and former Collector, said that he had rejected an offer from NGOs and voluntary organisations to reconstruct free houses for the tsunami-affected.He instead opted for a loan from World Bank through government of Puducherry for reconstruction of the houses by awarding the contract to a private party against World Bank conditions and provisions of the government.As per the FIR, the CBI booked Ragesh Chandra on the charges of criminal conspiracy, to cheat the government, along with Mohan, Executive Engineer, PWD attached to PIA, Hyderabad-based IVRCL, represented by its chairman and managing director E Sudhir Reddy to whom the contract for construction of houses was awarded. Unknown public servants and private persons have also been named in the FIR.They have been booked under IPC sections 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating and dishonesty including delivery of property) and section 13 (2) (Criminal misconduct by a pubic servant) read with 13(1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption act. The Central Bureau of Investigation maintained that to cheat the government of Puducherry and government ofIndia, work order was issued to IVRCL to construct 1491 houses at Kalapet at a unit cost of `4.9 lakh as against the provisions of the government order which stipulate it to be Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 1.75 lakh.At the general body meeting of PIA in December 2007, objections were raised to EPC tender model and NIT and Bill on Quantity (BOQ) was recommended, but Ragesh Chandra in collaboration with the accused had rejected the NIT and BOQ tender model and reverted to EPC/turn key lump sum basis tender. The Central Bureau of Investigation also charged Ragesh Chandra of rejecting a tender submitted for `68 crore on NIT BOQ basis without the statutory majority on April 10, 2008,even though minutes appear that as if the general body had participation of seven members, but only chairman (Chief secretary), vice-chairman (PWD Secretary) and director PIA signed it.As part of the criminal conspiracy in order to favour IVRCL, a reversion was made to EPC/turn key model lump sum basis tender without calling for fresh tender. IVRCL was favoured by extension of 15 days time for filing fresh quotations. IVRCL had also not submitted mandatory earnest money deposit for proper value by accepted means. As per CPWD manual all tenders without EMD should be rejected outright, but the tender was read as least quoted firm and the work was offered.
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