Palarivattom: Tender docs manipulation supected, HC says
text_fieldsKochi: Document manipulation is suspected to have been made in tenders and tender registers to ensure contract of Palarivattom flyover construction to RDS company, the High Court observed on Tuesday.
Justice Sunil Thomas's observation came after going through the details filed by the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB). It submitted the findings while the court was considering the bail petitions filed by former PWD secretary T O Sooraj and the other three accused.
The court also verbally observed that the discrepancies found in the documents related to tenders cannot be viewed as trivial. Vigilance submitted to the court that the tender was awarded to RDS Projects Ltd. which quoted an amount of Rs 47 crore, ignoring a lower bid of Rs 42 crore submitted by Cherian Varkey Constructions. Some other glaring discrepanies in the figures entered in the records were also spotted by the High Court, including variation of handwriting in two different records.
A note was added in writing to the tender document saying that RDS would offer a rebate of Rs 13.4 per cent. When the tender was awarded, this rebate was considered and the contract was awarded to RDS. The correction is evident from the handwriting, the Vigilance told the court. This tampering is suspected to have been done with the connivance of officials of PWD, RBDCK and KITCO, VACB said in the submission.