TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Former Minister for Public Works Department Churchill Alemao’s troubles do not seem to end as Crime Branch on Monday registered a fresh first information report (FIR) against him in the Rs 300 crore Public Works Department (PWD) tenders scam case. Suspended executive engineer P T Parker has also been made an accused in the case.
The case was registered based on a more than a year old criminal complaint filed by the National Student Union of India’s (NSUI) Vice President Sunil Kawthankar alleging the former PWD minister cheated the government of a whopping amount by illegally awarding 258 tenders in works division XXV (roads) alone, each of which cost Rs 5 lakh or more.
The FIR basically came after Principal Sessions Judge Anuja Prabhudesai in an order on September 19 this year directed the Crime Branch to register a case. The complaint had also accused Parker of violating the crucial guidelines and the then Chief Vigilance Officer and Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava of shielding them.
As per the complaint letter, about 258 tenders were fraudulently awarded in works division of XXV as the tenders were not published in the newspapers in violation of CPWD guidelines. The complainant had alleged it was in order to grant the works to favoured contractors. Parker had reportedly admitted that he had done so with the written approval of Alemao. A vigilance inquiry was held which had affirmed the allegations.
The anti corruption branch is already investigating another water tenders scam against him and involving suspended executive engineer K H Kamaladini who told the ACB during questioning earlier this year that tenders for 19 works in November 2011 were issued on instructions of Alemao. The former minister has been questioned in this regard.
