Arappor Iyakkam seeks special audit in Highways Dept scam

CHENNAI: Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-graft organization, has urged the government to conduct a special audit by the AG (Auditor General) to calculate the actual loss and recover the losses in the Highways Department scam. In a petition to Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena and other senior officials, Jayaram Venkatesan, Convenor of the organization, said that the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) sent its enquiry report to the government with a recommendation to take departmental action against the officials of Highways Department for violating the agreement conditions and the Government Orders and for failing to apply to pass through the basis of price variation method for Bitumen price payments, thereby causing losses of hundreds of crores to the exchequer.

“It is argued that the lost quantum has been recovered, however, it is important to understand that the entire process of recovery has happened only after these violations came to light after the suspension of Mr Sathyamurthy, then DE (Divisional Engineer), Trichy. Therefore, recovery of the money can in no way nullify the violations and illegalities committed by the officials in charge. It must also be understood that the DVAC has recommended departmental action after taking into account the recovery done,” he added. He expressed suspicion that the entire estimation and recovery of the losses is underestimated. The recovery of Rs 610 crores can only be part of the total loss due to the nonapplication of the price variation clause. “Therefore, a special AG audit to calculate the actual loss and check for the entire recovery of the losses must be carried out immediately as well,” he urged. In an earlier complaint, Arappor Iyakkam alleged that 1,131 officials have connived to commit a scam to the tune of Rs. 750 crore related to the bitumen works in the Rs 6,000 cdrore CRIDP scheme of the years 2014-15 and 2015-16.