NEW DELHI: Cracking down against “corruption and negligence” at the top level, the Delhi Development Authority has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR against 39 of its officers apart from various contractors who were involved in “faulty construction” of multi-storey Signature View Apartments in north Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar area in 2009 and putting hundreds of lives at risk.
The officials who will be probed by the investigating agency include three DDA members (engineering), six chief engineers, nine superintending engineers, nine executive engineers, four assistant engineers and eight junior engineers.
Taking serious note of “grave lapses” in construction of the apartment complex, LG V K Saxena had asked the authority on January 24 to initiate criminal proceedings against the erring contractors, builders and construction agencies while conducting a vigilance inquiry to identify all DDA officials responsible for lapses and misconduct and begin criminal proceedings against them.
Built during 2007-2009, the 336 flats — 112 MIG and 224 HIG — in Signature View Apartments were allotted to residents in 2011-12 but the buildings became structurally unsafe within a few years.
“The action is a stern message from the LG to all government officers against any collusion, misconduct, laxity. There is zero tolerance for corruption and any compromise with the interest and safety of the people of Delhi will not be tolerated,” a Raj Nivas official said.
According to officials, the construction agencies against whom the DDA has requested the CBI to register FIR included Winner Construction Pvt Ltd and Grover Construction Pvt Ltd apart from two testing agencies — Bharat Test House and Delhi Test House — for offences of “cheating, criminal breach of trust, endangering life and public safety of others and other relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act”.
A senior Raj Nivas official said that a vigilance inquiry established “collusion” between the DDA officials and builders and contractors resulting in “compromising the quality and structural safety requirement during the construction, thereby causing wrongful loss to DDA besides putting to peril the lives and property of hundreds of residents”.
The vigilance inquiry also found out that the provisions pertaining to quality control as mentioned in the contract and the CPWD manual were bypassed, owing to which the construction failed in less than a decade, said an official.
“The concrete in the structure at most locations was found to be of a lower grade. Despite several repairs, the structural stability continued to fail to an extent that an independent expert suggested immediate evacuation,” an official quoting the vigilance department report said.
“It was the duty of the contractor and officers concerned to ensure that prescribed norms of quality control and terms and conditions of the agreement were followed. It appears that either the officers failed to point out deficiencies during construction or effectively colluded with the agency to compromise the quality and provide wrongful gains to the agency,” the official added.
A study conducted by an IIT-Delhi expert found the building to be structurally unsafe and recommended that it may be vacated and dismantled at the earliest. The LG in January asked the DDA to draw up a redevelopment and rehabilitation plan in consultation with the RWA.
The officials who will be probed by the investigating agency include three DDA members (engineering), six chief engineers, nine superintending engineers, nine executive engineers, four assistant engineers and eight junior engineers.
Taking serious note of “grave lapses” in construction of the apartment complex, LG V K Saxena had asked the authority on January 24 to initiate criminal proceedings against the erring contractors, builders and construction agencies while conducting a vigilance inquiry to identify all DDA officials responsible for lapses and misconduct and begin criminal proceedings against them.
Built during 2007-2009, the 336 flats — 112 MIG and 224 HIG — in Signature View Apartments were allotted to residents in 2011-12 but the buildings became structurally unsafe within a few years.
“The action is a stern message from the LG to all government officers against any collusion, misconduct, laxity. There is zero tolerance for corruption and any compromise with the interest and safety of the people of Delhi will not be tolerated,” a Raj Nivas official said.
According to officials, the construction agencies against whom the DDA has requested the CBI to register FIR included Winner Construction Pvt Ltd and Grover Construction Pvt Ltd apart from two testing agencies — Bharat Test House and Delhi Test House — for offences of “cheating, criminal breach of trust, endangering life and public safety of others and other relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act”.
A senior Raj Nivas official said that a vigilance inquiry established “collusion” between the DDA officials and builders and contractors resulting in “compromising the quality and structural safety requirement during the construction, thereby causing wrongful loss to DDA besides putting to peril the lives and property of hundreds of residents”.
The vigilance inquiry also found out that the provisions pertaining to quality control as mentioned in the contract and the CPWD manual were bypassed, owing to which the construction failed in less than a decade, said an official.
“The concrete in the structure at most locations was found to be of a lower grade. Despite several repairs, the structural stability continued to fail to an extent that an independent expert suggested immediate evacuation,” an official quoting the vigilance department report said.
“It was the duty of the contractor and officers concerned to ensure that prescribed norms of quality control and terms and conditions of the agreement were followed. It appears that either the officers failed to point out deficiencies during construction or effectively colluded with the agency to compromise the quality and provide wrongful gains to the agency,” the official added.
A study conducted by an IIT-Delhi expert found the building to be structurally unsafe and recommended that it may be vacated and dismantled at the earliest. The LG in January asked the DDA to draw up a redevelopment and rehabilitation plan in consultation with the RWA.
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