Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is set to revive a 26-year-old mandate to dismantle internal cartels. The mandate requires the vigilance department to scrutinise all project files before payments are disbursed. This “pre-audit” system, which was standard practice over two decades ago, is being reintroduced to prevent engineers from certifying their own fraudulent work.The recent drainage scam highlighted the spectacular failure of Project Management Consultants (PMCs). Sources reveal that these consultants, often employing young staff on meagre salaries have proven “unreliable” and easily compromised by senior officials.“They lack the technical depth or the spine to challenge fraudulent claims,” a senior AMC officer observed, noting that these consultants often sign off on bills for a fraction of the scam’s value. The AMC official admitted, “Outsourced supervision fails against officers who bypass the hierarchy to siphon money.”
