GHMC to order inquiry into bills submitted for old sanctions

GHMC Commissioner orders inquiry into suspicious bills submitted by contractors, totaling over ₹160 crore, for works sanctioned years ago.

GHMC Commissioner K. Ilambarithi is ordering an inquiry into certain bills submitted by contractors during last year, the works pertaining to which had been sanctioned long time ago.

Between February and June, 2024, GHMC received claims for payment of bills for the works sanctioned as long as eight years ago, giving rise to suspicions about irregularities, sources informed.

More than 600 of the 1940 bills received during the said five month period pertained to works for which administrative sanction had been given between the financial years 2016-17 and 2022-2023. The total amount for which bills have been submitted amounts to more than ₹160 crore.

The bill presented for the oldest sanction pertained to 2016-17, for a work costing ₹15,71,535, while three bills pertained to the subsequent year, amounting to ₹21,02,736. A total 429 bills submitted pertained to 2022-23, amounting to over ₹107 crore, and 109 bills were from sanctions given the previous year.

All these bills are being sent for audit, and the amounts will be released to the contractors only after thorough scrutiny and ground inspections, officials informed.

“Earlier, there would be mandatory social audit of the works done by the contractors, which has been done away with for reasons unknown. We are bringing back the audit, so that there are proper checks and balances before release of funds,” a highly placed official informed.

Contractors, at a recently staged demonstration for payment of dues, protested against bringing back the audit clause, saying it would only lead to more corruption.