Fadnavis demands action against people involved in irregularities of CIDCO projects

After Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) alleged irregularities and lapses related to the City and Industrial Development Corporation's (CIDCO) metro rail, international airport and Nerul-Uran railway, former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the planning agency should act against the people involved in the matter.

"Tenders of two CIDCO projects out of three were given in 2013. CIDCO should take action against irregularities and procedural lapses as mentioned in CAG report from 2013-18," Fadnavis, who was chief minister of Maharashtra from 2014-19 told reporters here on Wednesday.

"CIDCO is an autonomous body. CM has no control over it. No file comes to Mantaralaya from CIDCO for any projects. All rights are with MD and board of the CIDCO. Public Account Committee will take the appropriate decision about it and about tenders related to rail and metro were issued during previous Congress NCP Government," he said.

CAG report, which was tabled in Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday referred three major projects in Navi Mumbai international airport, Nerul - Uran Railway projects and Navi Mumbai Metro and stated that the infrastructure works carried out by CIDCO did not emerge out of a "systematic" and "comprehensive" plan.

It also alleged CIDCO did not prepare any long, medium or short-term plans for the infrastructure works with the result that the proposal for infrastructure works were sanctioned on case to case basis.

About Nerul Uran Rail Project, CAG mentioned that due to delay in appointment of consultant and lack of synchronisation in various activities, Phase 1 of the project was delayed from December 2015 to Nov 2018. The sanction work is yet to be completed and phase 2 is still in progress.

In Navi Mumbai Metro Rail (NMMR) project, CAG mentioned that CIDCO decided (May 2010) to invite tender for viaduct work even before receipt and review of final Detailed project report (DPR) which was submitted (October 2011) by Delhi Metro Rail Corp.

The approvals required such as permission from Railways for crossing over rail lines, shifting of utilities etc in the alignment of the line was not timely assessed and planned accordingly, the report said.

Advertisements in respect of 16 tenders with the estimated tender cost of Rs 50 crore and above were not released in leading newspaper at the National Level in violation of the laid down guidelines, the report said. Global tenders for projects like NMMR and Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) projects were not published in any international publications.

In seven contracts with estimated cost above Rs 15crore each, the bidders were technically evaluated by dispensing with the making system for technical qualifications of the bidders, it said.

The CAG alleged that in one contract valuing Rs 1,328 crore pertaining to Navi Mumbai Metro Rail (NMMR) Project, excess mobilisation advance amounting to Rs 25.33crore was paid in violation of the contract conditions.

The report further said that in three contacts valuing Rs 2,033.72 crore pertaining to land developments work for Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) project, CIDCO paid Rs 22.08 crore as price variation on material component, although these works were carried out by cutting the hill and filling the same with rock obtained from the said hill.