Thiruvananthapuram: More evidence of the breach of norms in the Life Mission's housing project at Wadakkanchery in Thrissur have emerged. Documents have revealed that the UAE Consulate and the Unitac Builders signed the building contract for the Life Mission's Wadakkanchery project.
It has become clear that this sub-contract was not in accordance to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Life Mission CEO and official of the UAE-based Red Crescent Authority in the presence of the chief minister. Neither the state government nor the Red Crescent, who signed the MoU, is a party to the building contract.
The government signed the MoU on July 11, 2019, for constructing 140 flats at 2.17 acres of land at Wadakkanchery under the Life Mission project.
The government had claimed that it signed the MoU with Red Crescent, an organisation in the UAE, as there were legal hurdles in directly accepting aid from a foreign country.
The approval of the central government was not sought before signing the MoU with Red Crescent. In addition to this, documents have now emerged revealing that the UAE Consul General had directly signed the contract, instead of Red Crescent.
As per the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FRCA), a representative of a foreign country getting directly involved in the building contract is a serious breach of norms.
The building contract merely mentions that Red Crescent would bear the expenses of the project. The building contract is in violation of the clauses in the MoU. As per the sub-clause in the MoU, the state government too should be involved in choosing the building contractor. But the MoU and the norms were violated in awarding the contract.
The Life Mission CEO had shot off a missive to the Red Crescent in August, claiming that the draft plan of the Unitac was exemplary and signalling the go-ahead for the project.
After the contract violation became apparent, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) asked the Chief Secretary to hand over all related documents of the project. It would be probed if the Centre's permission was given for receiving the UAE aid in the Life Mission project.
The state will also have to give an explanation over why the UAE Consulate signed the agreement instead of the Red Crescent.
Also, the officials in the law department had reportedly recommended three changes in the MoU. But senior IAS official Sivasankar had allegedly prepared the MoU in haste without considering these recommendations. As this too falls under the purview of the ED investigation, the officials in the law department too will have to give an explanation over this.
The Life Mission project came under the scanner after gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh claimed that she was given Rs 1 crore as commission for the project. A multi-agency probe was initiated after 30kg gold was seized from a diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram in July. Senior IAS official Sivasankar was removed as Principal Secretary to the CM over his alleged association with the gold smuggling case accused.
