A Vigilance Court in India has ordered an investigation into allegations of irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission contract. The contract aimed to provide safe and adequate drinking water to households in Kozhikode district. The petitioner, Atholi panchayat member K Baiju, claimed that there were irregularities in awarding the Rs 559 crore contract to set up a water treatment plant, pumping houses, and distribution pipes in seven panchayats of the district. The petitioner alleged that the officials changed the selection criteria to hand over the contracts to their close circles and gave the contract based on a fake experience certificate produced by them.
The plea sought inquiries against two Superintendent Engineers of the Kerala Water Authority, Deputy Chief Engineer, Deputy Accounts Manager, and two contractors. The officials doled out the contract to select persons claiming they had previous experience in setting up a water treatment plant in Ponnani. However, the plant in Ponnani was not constructed as per the criteria specified in the tender.
The court directed the Kozhikode Vigilance DySP to submit the inquiry report before July 7, and Adv P Rajeev and Adv Pradeep Kumar appeared for the petitioner. This case shows the importance of transparency in awarding contracts and following due process. As the saying goes, ‘Justice delayed is justice denied.’
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