PWD contractors assn removes office-bearers; Gives clean chit to officials

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Public Works Department (PWD) Contractors (Engineering) Association on Thursday removed the six office-bearers who had threatened to come out with a list of top 10 corrupt PWD engineers during 2014-15 A resolution this effect was passed during the meeting here where new office-bearers were elected. G Ekambaram, proprietor of Preethi Constructions who is now heading the association temporarily, told reporters that the new office-bearers would replace the earlier members. “We had a total of 130 members in the association of which more than 100 members have backed us,” Ekambaram said. Interestingly, till now 106 members have signed the register showing their support to the new leadership. The split in the association came to prominence after Tamil Nadu PWD Contractors (Engineering) Association erected a huge flex hoarding near the PWD office at Chepauk, warning that top 10 corrupt PWD engineers during 2014-15 would be named in such advertisements Ekambaram said that the decision by the office-bearers of the association was done without the concurrence of all the members. He said that the then office-bearers have been stripped of their posts. To a query on whether they their membership from the association will be withdrawn, Ekambaram said, “We have removed them from the pots. They will continue to remain being the members of the association,” he said. To a query over the alleged audio tapes highlighting the corruption in PWD, Ekambaram said that it is before the DVAC. “The officials are clean and hardworking and the allegations are totally wrong,” he said. Interestingly, most of the members of the association were against the removal of the six office-bearers from the association. Currently, PWD has got more than Rs 2,000 crore worth construction projects and Rs 200 crore worth maintenance projects.