Chennai: Former highways minister E V Velu on Tuesday questioned the Tamil Nadu govt over the ₹5.5-crore renovation tenders for the proposed chief minister’s office on the 10th floor of Namakkal Kavignar Maligai, citing a TOI report that work had begun even before the tender was floated, and that e-tenders were floated after five days.Participating in a debate on demands for public works department grants in the assembly, Velu sought PWD minister Aadhav Arjuna’s response to the report and questioned why chief minister C Joseph Vijay could not continue to function from Fort St George.Velu said the secretariat staff had raised concerns about inadequate space for even dining and that occupying the entire 10th floor would further reduce the space available to them. He said several chief ministers, including C N Annadurai, M Karunanidhi, M G Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa, O Panneerselvam, Edappadi K Palaniswami and M K Stalin, had functioned from the existing secretariat while implementing schemes that contributed to Tamil Nadu’s growth and poverty alleviation. Noting that it was for the chief minister to decide where he wants to work from, he said, “I am happy that the chief minister is going to a building built by former chief minister M Karunanidhi. The Fort was built by the British, while the maligai was built by a Tamilian.” “I want to bring this to the chief minister’s attention. You say you are transparent in tenders, but the report says the tender was floated after work had already begun,” he said.Aadhav rejected the allegations and said “If I have to take up news reports of the last five years, I can say the PWD was entirely corrupt. The news reports (on the CMO tenders) are wrong. I will give a response. The tender isn’t over,” he said.Aadhav further said the govt would release a white paper on the PWD and highways departments. “I don’t want to say what happened in the tenders in the last five years here (in the assembly). In the last 60 days, we retendered for more than 20 projects of the previous regime. We are now getting bids 20% to 36% lower for the same projects. I am ready to place the details before the assembly,” Aadhav said. He added that he was retaining last year’s schedule of rates (SoR) to date, as they are going to release a white paper, and that projects are now happening at lower costs under the same SoR.On the need for a separate office for the chief minister, he said both Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa had considered building a new secretariat, as the existing facilities were inadequate for the chief minister. “When 80 people have to work around the chief minister, there are not even adequate restrooms. So, we are moving there as a temporary measure. We are not moving it for the chief minister’s comfort or need,” Aadhav said, adding that the CM is a person who sleeps in a van and eaten on the move during election campaigns.Responding to the minister, Velu said the SoR had existed since 1944 and was prepared by an expert committee involving IAS officers, not ministers. “Contractors will quote below the estimated value because they need work, have machinery and have to meet expenses such as diesel and employee wages. The contractor’s bid has nothing to do with the govt or minister,” he said.
