PUDUCHERRY: The local unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), on Wednesday, demanded a white paper from the territorial government on the Comprehensive Sewerage Scheme, initiated under JNNURM, alleging that a blacklisted company had been chosen for execution of works overlooking the lowest bidder during the tender process. Addressing reporters, CPM Tamil Nadu State Council member T Murugan said that the private party was chosen for the `230-crore project over two other firms even though tender quoted by one of them was lower. He said that mysteriously, the company which was awarded the contract had inserted a “discount” of 29 per cent of the original work cost quoted. This, he alleged, indicated foul play as the original amount for the work by a competitor was `30 crore less than the firm’s. Also the contracted company has been blacklisted by the Pune Municipal Corporation, he added.Further, pointing to an RTI reply, Murugan alleged that while 50 per cent of the project was supposed to be completed in the first year, not even 15 per cent had seen execution, though almost two years had passed since the work began. However, he wanted to know if the firm had already been given the entire amount for the project or if the payment had been based on the amount of work completed.Puducherry CPM unit secretary Perumal wondered how the sewarage laying process in a number of areas began even without the construction of the drainage treatment plants as envisaged in the project document.He said that the party would launch a pada yatra on Jan 2 pressing for alternative government policies. He also demanded CBI inquiry into the various corruption charges that surfaced during the year, including those on LG Iqbal Singh.
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