On August 2, the PWD Minister assured the Goa Legislative Assembly that pot-holes on all roads in the State will be filled before Chaturthi. Let us therefore hope and pray that as assured, all the potholes are really filled before the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities due to commence in a fortnight from now. Despite time constraints, if the mission succeeds, PWD engineers and the Minister will earn the blessings of Lord Ganesha.
Unlike normal works which are executed after observing the codal formalities of tendering the work, opening the tenders received on the scheduled date and time in the presence of the tenderers and awarding the work to the contractor quoting the lowest rates, the works of “repairs to potholes” are taken up departmentally by hiring labourers on daily wages whose particulars are entered on NMRs (nominal muster rolls). Obviously, as the work involves filling up of the potholes, which, in turn, depends upon the width and the depth of each pothole, there is lot of scope for manipulation.
While on this subject, I am reminded of an interesting episode narrated by an Auditor from Mumbai while his team was conducting the audit of Goa Tourism Development Corporation way back in 1992. His team used to visit districts in Maharashtra to conduct the audit of PWD divisions. In order to “take care” of the Audit Party, PWD would draw up estimates for repairs to potholes, which were never repaired, prepare muster-rolls of laborers with fake names and NMR bills showing payments made as if they were really engaged, and so that the fraud is not detected, instead of thumb impressions, foot impressions are recorded against the fake names of the laborers in proof of payments received.
The Audit Officer was honest enough to confess that the amount sanctioned is drawn and kept ready in advance to make the stay of the Audit Party very comfortable. In fact, being fully aware of this manipulation, the first question that the Audit Team would pose on arrival to the PWD engineer was whether the estimates for the repairs to the potholes has been sanctioned. So, ultimately, repairs to potholes in a way amounts to filling the “pot-bellies”.
