Classroom construction irregularities: 24 Delhi PWD engineers served show cause notices

New Delhi: Twenty-four public works department engineers have been served show cause notices by the vigilance directorate over alleged violations and irregularities related to construction of Delhi government school classrooms, officials said on Monday.

Notices were served to each of the engineers by the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) on July 26 and they were given 14 days to submit their replies, the officials said.

In 2016, the public works department (PWD) had highlighted that due to building byelaws and scarcity of space for offset of services, around 119 classrooms could not be constructed in various schools.

"This, prima facie, reflects that a detailed study was not conducted by the PWD while submitting preliminary estimates as to whether land was available for construction, the soil had load-bearing capacity and whether appropriate approval from local authorities had been taken," read the notices.

In the notices, it was stated that a survey conducted by the PWD, before preparing the list of schools where additional classrooms were to be constructed, was an "eyewash" and tenders were floated "without assessing the actual requirements of works" to be undertaken.

The DoV notices also claimed that the cost of construction increased by more than Rs 326 crore in the name of incorporating "richer specifications", without the approval of the council of ministers and without calling for fresh tenders.

The complaints of irregularities were also examined by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), and in its report, it said 1,214 toilet blocks were constructed against the requirement of 160, causing an extra expenditure of Rs 37 crore, according to the notices.

The DoV also claimed that the PWD minister's office had initially advised the department's nodal officer to keep the construction cost within Rs 1,200 per square feet, but records show it reached Rs 2,292, much above the cost-ceiling.

The engineers who have been served the notices include the then engineer-in-chief, who also held the post of secretary in the PWD, a chief engineer, a superintending engineer, a chief project manager and 20 executive engineers, officials said.

In April 2015, the then education secretary proposed construction of additional classrooms in Delhi government schools, in view of high student-classroom ratio. In May of the same year, the education secretary wrote to his counterpart in the PWD to carry out a survey and prepare an estimate.

The DoV said that instead of submitting a single consolidated estimate, the PWD submitted 16 preliminary estimates, thereby splitting the project of Rs 1033.73 crore that was further split into 63 tenders.