Although unbelievable, yet official records say a bike had been used to transport 117 steel poles each of 11 metres length during power restoration work in Ganjam district of Odisha after devastating Phailin cyclone in October 2013.
Evidences of such corruption during power restoration work has come to fore during recent enquiry in Aska electrical circle. At the time of Phailin, power distribution in south Odisha was being managed by Southco, which then was under Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. Since March 2015, management of Southco has been handed over to the State-owned Gridco and this power distribution company for south Odisha has become Southco Utility. According to sources, government had financed the post Phailin power restoration work.
In June this year, Superintending Engineer (SE) of Aska electrical circle of Southco Utility had become suspicious about some payments made for transportation of goods during post-Phailin power restoration work. A vehicle with registration number ‘OR-07 D 3404’ and ‘OR-07 D 6137’ had been used for this transportation work. Bill had been passed for utilization of the first vehicle for transporting 117 steel poles each of 11 meters length. Bill was passed for hiring the second vehicle at the rate of 1200 rupees per day plus diesel for transporting other heavy materials used for power restoration work.
At the request of the SE, the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Ganjam provided the real identity of these two vehicles. It was found that the vehicle which was said to have transported 117 long steel poles was a Hero Honda CD100SS bike and the other vehicle was a 100CC bike of TVS Suzuki Ltd. In records both vehicle numbers were shown as commercial transport vehicles, which they never were.
According to sources, information about evidence of this irregularity has been brought to the notice of Ganjam district administration. Speaking to The Hindu, state secretary of the CPI (M) Ali Kishore Patnaik, who also happens to be president of Odisha Bijuli Karmachari Sangh (OBKS), a union of electricity workers affiliated to CITU said this is just the tip of the ice berg of corruption that had occurred during post-Phailin restoration work. According to him detail enquiry into all sectors of restoration work in Ganjam district after the cyclone would reveal corruption and irregularities worth crores of rupees. He alleged that extent of corruption was the highest in power sector. He blamed both the private company as well as state government for alleged rampant corruption that occurred during the restoration work after the Phailin cyclone. “It is high time for detail enquiry into all expenses made for post Phailin cyclone restoration work and legal action should be initiated against all erring persons who misappropriated public money”, he said.
