Vigilance Finds Corruption To The Tune Of 99 Lakh | Kochi News

Kochi: Vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (VACB) officials, who conducted a probe into the alleged anomalies in the laser show project implemented by Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) at Rajendra Maidanam, have found that corruption to the tune of Rs 99 lakh has occurred. According to the first investigation report (FIR) submitted before vigilance court at Muvattupuzha, the GCDA authorities procured less number of certain devices and machines than included in the estimate while they showed the price of some machines above its market value thereby causing a loss of Rs 99 lakh to the public exchequer.
It was during 2014-15 that the GCDA authorities headed by the then chairman and officials roped in a private firm for implementing the project. The GCDA authorities didn’t conduct any feasibility study before implementing the project, the vigilance states in the FIR. The government had asked the GCDA to use 30% of the cost of the project from GCDA’s own fund and the remaining 70% through bank loans. But the then chairman and officials with the GCDA in connivance with the owners of Laser Tech Entertainments Private Ltd, the private firm which implemented the project, decided to use the 100% funds from the GCDA’s own funds.
According to Cheshire K T, an RTI activist who moved the complaint alleging corruption in the implementation of the project, GCDA had spent Rs 4.30 crore for the project. “The total cost of the project would come to less than 1.30 crore. The remaining Rs 3 crore had been shared among the then chairman, secretary and officials,” he said. “They procured second hand machines. The laser show had to be stopped within a year of its starting as the machines developed technical snags,” Cheshire said.
Rajendra Maidanam, which had hosted various cultural, political and other public programmes, couldn’t be given for such purposes after the laser show project was commenced. “The GCDA used to get up to Rs 5 lakh a month as rent from those conducting various programmes there. In the past seven years, the GCDA lost that revenue also,” Cheshire said.