Panaji, Oct 8 (TOI): Goa Lokayukta P K Misra on Friday issued an injunction to the electricity department on the two recently awarded contracts, worth Rs 328 crore, till a final order is passed. This directive was issued based on a complaint and allegations made by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar.

The Lokayukta also issued a notice to the state chief secretary, finance secretary and chief electrical engineer as it ordered a preliminary inquiry into the tendering process. The next hearing on the matter is on October 17.

The Congress had filed a complaint before the Lokayukta against power minister Milind Naik and the state chief secretary among others for violating procedures and awarding the two contracts to two private companies even though the Goa state works board had called for the contract to be terminated and retendered.

According to the complaint, Goa electricity department floated a tender for electrical works in sub-transmission and HT and LT distribution network worth Rs 156.51 crore and another tender for aerial bunched cables at an estimated cost of Rs 142 crores, both of which were manipulated and awarded to favoured companies.

According to the complaint, Naik awarded a contract to recable 11 KV high tension and low tension electricity lines to L&T, even though two other companies had submitted lower bids.

Besides Naik, the other respondents in the case are chief secretary R K Srivastava, finance secretary Daulat Hawaldar and then electricity chief engineer Dipak Bhajekar.

Kawthankar had alleged that Naik along with three other government officials, were in the continuous habit of systematically rigging tenders, escalating prices, manipulating CPWD manual and CVC guidelines.