T’puram: PWD minister P K Basheer said govt did not find irregularities in awarding contracts to Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), contradicting UDF’s repeated allegations during the previous LDF govt’s tenure. Replying to a question in the assembly, he said no instance had come to PWD’s notice where works were awarded to ULCCS in violation of established procedures. He maintained that all PWD projects are subject to quality checks and assured that any complaint over the quality of construction would be investigated.He said ULCCS does not receive special preference in the award of NH or PWD works. He said ULCCS is executing 165 PWD projects, including 61 road works and 46 KIIFB-funded projects. Around 40 projects are progressing slowly due to its heavy workload, he added. Basheer dismissed allegations that ULCCS prepares estimates for its projects, saying no such issue had come to PWD’s notice.His statement marks a departure from the stand taken by UDF while it was in the opposition. The then opposition leader V D Satheesan had accused ULCCS of receiving govt contracts through irregular means and had alleged that CPM was using it to park its ‘corruption money’.Basheer’s remarks are expected to fuel a political debate, with govt’s official position differing sharply from the allegations previously levelled by UDF against ULCCS.
