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Mohali Aerocity development: PSPCL to probe takeover of incomplete system from GMADA
The PSPCL superintending engineering has marked an inquiry into takeover of incomplete equipment from GMADA in 2019
A day after the GMADA chief administrator sought a detailed report from the engineering department over excess payment of ₹8.76 crore to the agency that developed Aerocity, the PSPCL superintending engineering has also marked an inquiry to the officers concerned who took over the incomplete equipment from GMADA in 2019.
The GMADA chief administrator’s action came three years after the techno-financial audit report for the development of Aerocity, located along Airport Road, found that GMADA gave undue benefit of ₹8.76 crore to Larsen and Toubro, Chennai, which carried out various works for the development of the area.
The audit was conducted by Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS), a public sector undertaking under the Union ministry of water resources, and the report was readied in July 2019.
GMADA had allotted the ₹131-crore project to develop the area to the agency in December 2011. As per the audit report, the agency carried out various development works in the civil, public health, electrical and horticulture sectors.
Under electrical services, the report had found that the agency did not lay the sand layer over double wall corrugated pipe, which was included in the paid item. Also, energy meters were not installed in feeders, but the agency was paid for them. The agency installed only 57 compact substations, while GMADA paid it for 67. This way, a questionable amount of ₹4 crore was paid to the agency.
Yet, PSPCL took the incomplete equipment from GMADA without any verification or inventory list.
Admitting this, PSPCL superintending engineering Ashwani Kumar said they were investigating the matter and a detailed report had been sought. “Accordingly, responsibility of the concerned officials will be fixed,” he said.
Another senior officer said there was tremendous pressure from senior GMADA officials to take over the system, as they had to make payments to the developing agency.
Vinod Sharma, president of Aerocity Residents’ Welfare Association, said the electrical infrastructure laid in the area was not as per load requirements. “As a result, residents face outages lasting for hours, especially during rains. The transformers and low tension cables installed are not as per specifications. The cables have multiple joints, making the electrical system weak and prone to faults,” he said.
