Bhubaneswar: Even though a coterie of officials operating under the umbrella of former Urban and Housing Development Secretary G Mathi Vathanam and Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) CEO Pradeep Kumar Swain, who had virtually ruined the department, have in the meantime superannuated, but some kingpins of the coterie continue to rule the roost.

Cover-Up of Massive Scams

A glaring example is Guru Charan Das, General Manager of WATCO Division-II in Bhubaneswar, who managed to get promoted to the post of Managing Director with the help of an influential group.     

After taking charge, Guru Charan Das, who is said to be ‘slippery as an eel’ has begun to cover up scams worth 400 crore in the construction of new 53 high-level tanks in the State capital Bhubaneswar.    The excess deviation, irregularity in the tender process and the favour shown to some particular executing agencies by the coterie officials’ evidence are being wiped out by the new WATCO MD, alleged reliable sources.

Notably, before his superannuation on August 31, former CEO PK Swain finalised several sewerage line tenders and awarded them to his and the coterie officials’ favourite agencies. It is alleged that there has been huge irregularities and corruption in the entire tender process. After taking charge, Guru Charan Das has begun regularising all the illegalities in the process by destroying the evidences.

Alleged Kickbacks and Poor Infrastructure

Under WATCO-II there are 1,11,365 households to which 38.78 MLD water is supplied everyday though distribution pipelines of 778 km and for sewerage network there are 697.94 km. It is being alleged that as GM-II Guru Charan Das was collecting heavy kickbacks from the valve companies and negotiated all the deals with them. Sub-standard valves are being used in 778 water supply pipeline networks by which he along with the CEO and some coterie officials managed to pocket crores of rupees. A probe by a high-level committee can unearth the huge scam.  

Das and some of his blue-eyed aides who have managed to spread their wings in the department, have entangled the Urban Development Minister and the Secretary in a web to carry out their illegal and corrupt activities.

 So, the WATCO has become rudderless and failing in its mission to provide customer-centric service culture in urban water supply and waste water management.

Experts and former PHED senior officials said there is no need for the existence of WATCO and spending crores of rupees from the State exchequer which is being pocketed by some dishonest officials in nexus with contractors. If emergency measures are not taken the WATCO would soon turn into a ‘dead horse.’ Before the PHED was functioning more smoothly, they said.  

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