Bhubaneswar: The Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) which was formed to bring in corporate governance, efficiency, operational flexibility, and customer-centric service culture in urban water supply and wastewater management on a sustainable basis in Odisha, has failed badly in its mission thanks to its CEO Pradeepta Kumar Swain, who was the blue-eyed boy of the former Housing and Urban Development Secretary G Mathi Vathanam.
WATCO’s Mission Derailed by Corruption
The CEO operated the organisation with a coterie of loyal officials who at the directions of the CEO, manipulated tenders to favour agencies of Chatubhuja Patra, Bibhuti Jena, Jagdish Patra, Rakesh Jena, Aditya Biswal, Sisir Jena and Pradip Dhala. The officials submitted false bills to pocket construction funds by using substandard materials. Deviation and escalation were made in the works to collect huge funds due to which huge loss was incurred by the State exchequer.
The majority of the WATCO projects which were failures were executed by their pet contractors. For the patronage extended to them these officials had pay a handsome fixed monthly bribe to the CEO, alleged reliable sources. The CEO’s coterie included retired officials he recruited in exchange for huge bribes.
Alleged Corruption in Project Execution
A few examples are Sarat Chandra Mishra, General Manager -1, COO Puri Project, WATCO Deba Mohanty, Additional Chief Engineer (ACE)WATCO Division, Cuttack, and Sitaram Panda, Retired ACE ,COO, Brahmapur.
The ‘Drink from Tap’ project in Puri which Sarat Mishra supervised has failed as most of the water kiosks have gone dry which has been reported by different media. Besides, the sweet water zone has been depleted and at many places, saline water is coming up when water is drawn.
As GM-1, WATCO Sarat Mishra made corruption a benchmark in the distribution of pipelines, construction of 22 high-level water tank infrastructure, sewerage line connections and maintenance in Bhubaneswar. Huge irregularities were committed by him and funds worth crores of rupees were pocketed by him. WATCO Corruption
Manipulation of Financial Power and Project Mismanagement
Besides, the CEO had given financial powers to Mishra without approval of the Finance Department. The CEO through this coterie was collecting heavy kickback from valve companies negotiated through Mishra and Debabrata Mohanty. They were travelling to the firms’ offices at Chennai, Coimbatore and Delhi and negotiated which company would pay the highest bribes. The quality assurance plan of those firms was approved as per these criteria. They were ordered and all QAP was approved by Sarat Mishra and Pradipta Kumar Swain confidentially without consulting or making a committee comprising the EIC, Procurement Specialist of the Housing and Urban Development Department to get their views or open tendering.
COO Brahmapur ACE Sitaram Panda, who executed the Janabilli Project in Brahmapur and Kashinagar project in Gajapati district made illegal and false bills with loyal contractors. Sub-standard materials were used in laying pipelines in Brahmapur city and Gajapati.
The main cause of failure of Janibilli Project was attributed by experts to the defective design of Intake Well, defective design of Vertical Turbine Pump sets, non-approval of Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) approved quality of pipes not being used in raw water and clear water rising main, defective design of rising main of both raw water and clear water, positioning of ESR not done as per DPR approved.
The Need for Vigilance and Accountability
The intellectuals of Brahmapur have demanded the culprits of Janibilli Project should be arrested and the irregularities should be inquired diligently and the appropriate action should be initiated against the erring officers. Besides, water treatment plants at Jagdalpur and Dakhinpur should be inquired whether those have been executed as per approved DPR by a technical team.
Similarly, Deba Mohanty, ACE, WATCO Division, Cuttack committed huge irregularities in the box drain project.
It is alleged that CEO Swain mentally tortured his juniors to prepare false bills, threatening them of action by the Principal Secretary, He further warned them that if his directions are violated or the matter is disclosed, they would be transferred to the KBK region. The concerned GMs, Managers, AMs, who prepared the highest false bills were rewarded and commended by the Principal Secretary in the periodical meetings held at Taj Vivanta Hotel at Patrapada. Besides, the coterie officials were not transferred from one section to another section with a plea that works would be hampered. The coterie officials were also awarded with more number of Sections. For example, one Bhakti Mohapatra, AE was assigned with High Level Tank Subdivision for six years though he was not eligible. Many promoted AEEs are still working in different sections.
A high-level probe by the Vigilance Directorate can unearth the deep-rooted corruption in WATCO and the unscrupulous and guilty officials can be punished, demanded the intelligentsia.