State government to order vigilance probe

KOCHI: The state government will soon order a Vigilance probe into the alleged anomalies in the construction of the Solid Waste Treatment Plant at Brahmapuram. The plant constructed at an estimate of Rs 20 crore is now defunct. The Brahmapuram Solid Waste Treatment Plant was the first project in the city implemented by utilising the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) fund.Announcing the decision in the State Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the government was considering a Vigilance inquiry into the controversies related with the plant which was constructed during the LDF period. It was during the term of the LDF-led Council (2005-2010) that the decision to construct the plant at Brahmapuram was approved. The construction of the plant was entrusted with the Andhra Pradesh Technology Development and Promotion Council (ATDPC) at an estimated cost of Rs 19.63 crore. As per the contract, the company should handover the plant to the Corporation after successfully operating it for one year. But the plant stopped functioning even before the expiry of the contract period. As a result, the solid waste disposal of the city came to a standstill inviting protests from all quarters. The fire outbreak at the plant in January last year forced the then Corporation officials to act. As a result, the state government-controlled Centre for Environment and Development (CED) was entrusted with the maintenance of the plant. But the agency also found it difficult to run it effectively. The major reason was that the plant is situated on a wetland. As the floor was not properly reinforced, the plant sank owing to the heavy weight of the machinery. Though the contract was awarded to ATDPC, it gave a sub-contract to another agency. “If a Vigilance probe is initiated, the agency that conducted technical study will also be under the scanner. The plant was constructed without considering necessary guidelines to be followed while constructing a building at a marshy land,” said Corporation sources.It was Fact Engineering and Design Organisation (FEDO) that supervised the construction work.