Saturday, May 23, 2020

At a stretch OSDMA released Rs.2.5 Crore to IIT, Bombay for land slide Study

Bureaucrats use Public Money on their Whims and Fancies
At  a stretch OSDMA   released Rs.2.5 Crore to IIT, Bombay for land slide Study without    signing any MOU or accepting any  detailed  Proposal – AN RTI Revelation
Dear friends
On dated 11.3.20., RTI Application was submitted to the PIO , office  of OSDMA ( Odisha State Disaster Management Authority), Bhubaneswar seeking  the  following  information.
i.  Copy  of  all correspondence  made  with IIT, Bombay while  assigning  study  on Landslides in Gajapati  in pre and post-assignment  period.
ii. Copy  of  the  file  noting  with  regard  to  decision taken  for  assigning IIT, Bombay  the  said study
iii. Provide copy  of  decision taken / Order  including  file  noting   for release  of advance amount  Rs. 2.5 crore   with date  of release.
iv. Copy  of  Review, if any  made  at OSDMA  level  about  progress  or  completion  of  the  study  during  period  of  present MD, OSDMA
On 19.5.20, the PIO  supplied  the  information  which  are  as follows.

1.       From the  file  noting , it  was  found that the Chief Minister, during his visit  to the cyclone Titli affected area  in October 2018 had expressed  his deep  concern for landslide event  in Gajapati  district. He had  declared that  vulnerability mapping  of hilltop villages would be done  and shelter  houses  to be provided  to the  community , wherever required.
2.       The State Executive  Committee ( SEC) headed by the Chief Secretary, in its 3rd meeting for 2018-19 held  on 22.10.18  approved  the landslide vulnerability mapping by OSDMA  for  which necessary fund would be provided from SDRF ( State  Disaster Response Fund).
3.       Without inviting any tender or Expression of Interest, Shri Bishnupada Sethy,  the then Managing Director, OSDMA  assigned Indian Institute of Technology,  Bombay ( Rs. 2.5 crore project) for the landslide vulnerability study  for Gajapati District. OSDMA has   maintained utmost secrecy  and has not  disclosed any information  about  details of  procedure  followed and decision taken   and preliminary correspondence made  between OSDMA and IIT, Bombay  for arriving at  decision to  assign this study ( for example letter dt. 30.3.2019) , as it  was  sought  for  under RTI Act. The reason for not  inviting Expression of Interest through advertisement  and  hurriedly selecting IIT, Bombay  for  this study is best known to OSDMA officials.
4.       But it  was observed  from the file noting  that the Team of IIT, Bombay  visited three worst landslides affected areas  in the Gajapati  district  and  submitted a preliminary report  to OSDMA  which was  placed before 4th SEC meeting  for the year 2018-19 held on 5.2.2019.
5.       Following  their  preliminary report,  OSDMA assigned  this  study  to IIT, Bombay  without  signing any MOU and devising timeline  and  released   total Rs. 2.5  crore  at  stretch  on 25.4.19 without approval of the Finance Department.
6.       In respect of sanctioning of Rs. 2.5 crore  to IIT, Bombay by Sri Bishnupada Sethy, MD, OSDMA, it has been  clarified  by Bholanath Mishra, General Manager ( Geotechnology), OSDMA which is observed from the  file noting  that the Governing Body in its 3rd meeting has delegated the sanctioning power upto Rs. 5.00 core to the Managing Director for any scheme. I suggest that this issue  must  be looked  into by the state Govt.  from the perspective of effective  management of SDRF fund  through approval of Finance Dept.
7.       It  deserves to mention here that IIT, Bombay had not submitted any proposal  for  the Study  on  Vulnerability Mapping of Landslide Prone areas under Cyclonic storm  in the Gajapati district”
8.       It is  also learnt from the text  of the letter  written by IIT, Bombay  on 2.4.19  that  “ the duration of the project was one year  and the consultation charges was be Rs. 2,11,86,441.00 with 18%GST ( total Rs. 2.5 crore) .
9.       After  four months of  release  of  Rs. 2.5 crore  ,  the  Study Team of IIT, Bombay made  their  first visit  to Gajapati district  on 2nd and 3rd September, 2019 for the said study.  
10.   On 30.10.19., OSDMA  wrote a letter to Prof. Manas Ranjan Behera, Associate  Professor , IIT,  Mumbai, Team Leader  to send a team of experts  to the recent landslide sites  occurred  in Gumma and Rayagada  block of Gajapati district and submit  the report.   IIT Team visited Gajapati on 12.11.19
11.   From the proceedings of the meeting of OSDMA held on 13.11.19, it was found that Mr. Pradeep Jena, present Managing Director, OSDMA really blew the whistle. This meeting was called by him to review the progress of ongoing  landslide study  undertaken by IIT, Bombay. It  was  directed  by  Sri Jena that –
a.       IIT, Bombay  would modify the methodology and  come  up with detailed  proposal ( IIT, Bombay  had  not  submitted  any  proposal . But Mr.  Bishnu Pada Sethy, the then MD sanctioned full amount of Rs. 2.5 crore as advance. It never happened anywhere in Govt. sector) , devise  a timeline for execution  &  completion of the work. The modified proposal would be submitted within three weeks.
b.      IIT, Bombay would submit the exhaustive proposal with timeline of completion by 13th December,2019  and submit UC of the expenditure incurred under this project to settle the advance amount released to IIT, Bombay.
c.       As MOU  was  not  signed  on 25.4.19 at the  time of release  of entire project money, MOU  will  be signed now after  review of progress  and revised plan.
12.   One year is over. So far, IIT, Bombay has neither submitted any report nor UC.
13.   Study is going on. Nobody knows when the study will be completed.
14.   It is desired to conduct an inquiry into nexus of Sri Bishnupada Sethy and IIT, Bombay, how a project was sanctioned without  floating any tender and inviting Expression of Interest and total amount was released without signing any MOU and underlining check and balance.

Pradip Pradhan
M-9937843482
Date- 22.5.20

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