The proposed expansion follows complaints about tendering procedures and project execution. ULCCS has categorically denied wrongdoing, insisting that it obtained its contracts through competitive bidding and complied with prescribed conditions.
The society received 218 KIIFB-backed contracts over the preceding decade, with their combined accepted tender value approaching ₹6,000 crore. Of these, 114 projects, valued at approximately ₹2,129 crore including goods and services tax, have been completed.
The other 104 contracts represent approximately ₹3,772 crore. Eighty-eight projects are under implementation, 11 have approval but have not commenced, and five are classified as stalled, terminated, foreclosed or otherwise discontinued.
Questions have also emerged over the pace of construction. Contract periods have been extended for about 50 unfinished projects, while progress on numerous others remains below 30 per cent. The affected works include roads, bridges and hospital infrastructure across Wayanad, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Pathanamthitta.
These figures describe the status of contracts rather than establish misconduct. Delays alone do not demonstrate improper procurement or financial wrongdoing, and the circumstances surrounding individual projects would require examination before responsibility could be determined.
Complaints received by the government allege that certain contracts were awarded without following the required tender procedures. Other allegations concern whether ULCCS prepared detailed project reports for particular works before subsequently securing their construction contracts.
Such questions could bring procurement records, project estimates, tender evaluations and contract modifications within the scope of a wider examination. No finding of illegality against the society has been established through the proposed investigation.
Responding on Saturday, ULCCS rejected the allegations in a public statement. It said every KIIFB project awarded to it had been secured through open tenders after meeting stringent eligibility requirements and submitting the lowest bids.
The co-operative maintained that its work followed the board’s prescribed quality standards and that procedures had been transparent from the tendering stage. It urged against circulating what it described as misleading allegations that could damage its reputation.
ULCCS also emphasised its economic and employment contribution, saying the institution supported 18,000 families. The society, established in 1925, argued that the controversy should not undermine its longstanding operations or the livelihoods dependent upon them.
The prospect of examining ULCCS contracts follows a formal vigilance investigation authorised on Friday into KIIFB’s approval for acquiring 4,896 acres in Kannur district at an estimated cost of ₹12,240 crore.
That inquiry will examine compliance with land acquisition legislation, valuation and compensation procedures, the selection of land parcels and the financial justification for the proposed expenditure. Investigators will also consider whether the approvals complied with KIIFB’s statutory provisions and applicable guidelines.
(The article ‘Uralungal contracts on Vigilance radar’ appeared first on Free Press Journal.)
Follow Arabian Post
Select Arabian Post as your preferred source on Google and MSN News for trusted business news and Arab politics and updates.
