Mr. Govind Ranjan exposes "Facts of Affairs in GOI (Government of India) Grant Group of Auroville"
Auroville ignores cries of the Residents & True Aurovilians.
They call it "The Auroville Way".
… Although some brave souls stood up for truth and divine principles of The Mother. They will be vindicated certainly and be called the Dark Shadows of Auroville, please do note that only when a person is seeing the light without any vested interest will the Shadows be Darker. And the source of all the so called Dark Shadows are the Power Corridor not the Whistleblowers.
This is the email sent by Mr. Govind Ranjan to The Chairman & The Governing Board of Auroville. Will Government Act & help True Auroville to shine and will True Aurovilians still hide in the shadows and have no faith in the Divine that the corrupt system can be overthrown if they awaken from their deep slumber of fear, naivety, greed and power.
We don't realize the reality that an Ideal Society can only be as Ideal as the Citizens living in it.
Kindly read the Enquiry Report & 698 pages instead of bullying people who are exposing facts. We have said exactly what Mr. Govind Ranjan is saying now...
20th January 2020
To;
The Chairman and Governing Board Members,
Auroville Foundation,
Auroville - 605101
Subject: Concerns raised by Govind & Sathyanarayan dated 7th September 2019 and response of GOI Grant Group by letter dated 10th January 2020 to the GB, forwarded by WC.
Respected Ma'am/Sir,
After four months of our concerns raised, I am in receipt of reply from GOI Grant Group. Rather than trying to understand a better approach of working and allowing us to be able to contribute effectively, the attempt is being made to complete cover-up the irregularities highlighted.
Few examples;
1. TDC selection process – During the last selection process, I experienced that part of specific group of people were spread in all different groups with clear agenda to eliminate people. In my group the person present, made all the efforts not to give any weightage to me giving the reason that I am best suited for technical team. Never mind, now, when the TDC has announced a technical team last month, I was neither invited nor consulted. In addition, for all my efforts to bring sincerity & transparency in construction work, I am rewarded with the “potential negative feedback” during the selection process so that I remain unfit for any working group unless my name is cleared by a clearance panel. Recently, even the clearance panel has resigned.
This is how, Auroville governance is encouraging wrong practices. People in good books of persons in power and position would get all the necessary support, provided they follow “Auroville Way” a specific way of functioning allowing all sorts of adjustments.
I personally feel that this way of functioning should be changed and competent professionals from the community should be called for taking responsibility of various aspects of work.
2. Tamil Heritage Project - I was not a site Engineer of Tamil Heritage Centre (THC) Project but was one of the members of Work Allocation Team (WAT) under TDC. The financial embezzlement of THC project was brought out by me and it was primarily due to poor & loose governance system in Auroville. Now management is trying to safeguard them and blame the whistleblower.
3. SAIIER Projects – use of inferior quality of steel and approval of payment for higher grade of steel reinforcement bars. I helped pro bono, one of the staff quarter projects of SAIIER for the structural details. During the checking of steel reinforcement bars in position before the concreting of a roof slab, I discovered that the bars laid are not of the higher grade as approved in estimate. I raised alarm and SAIIER monitoring team represented by Micheal G., coordinating the site work and quality check, confronted that it’s out of the preview of an Engineer to ask for specific brand of steel to be used. The conversations took more than three months and the results were never communicated to me by SAIIER team. However, I learnt from others that SAIIER has sent a notice to use best quality of steel henceforth.
· The question arises, when the estimate approved by a Professor of Engineering College was for higher grade of steel then why lower quality of steel reinforcement bars were used?
· When Pondicherry Engineering college professor is approving the estimate and recording the Steel Measurement Book and accordingly approving the RA Bills of work executed then for whose interest and monetary benefit this act of use of lower grade was being approved?
· My role was limited to suggest the structural details and here again when I brought out this irregularity in picture, I am being blamed for overlooking my duties. There is something drastically wrong with our system of governance .Rather than allowing good inputs there is strong objection.
· I was offering my help to only one project of SAIIER, for the rest of all the project sites during that period, it was a similar condition. Then, the question remains unanswered, whom to be blamed for? SAIIER project management cell or Professor of Pondicherry Engineering College or contractor? Has there been recovery of funds from all the projects against the difference in cost of lower and higher grade of steel reinforcement bars?
Further, without getting any further into the details and counter reply to the letter of GOI Grant Group, I would like to bring to your kind attention that since 2012, I was part of WAT member, which was closed down towards the end of year 2017 without any prior notice or reason.
When, I brought out the financial mismanagement of Tamil Heritage Centre in the notice of Auroville management officials and in another case, objected the manipulation in tendering process of Humanscape Project as one of the WAT members and did not sign the tender documents, since then I am noticing that there is an attempt by the people in power & position, to eliminate me from any work here in Auroville.
At this point of time, I would like to state that;
A Number of irregularities are discovered. We have brought out these irregularities into the notice of Auroville working groups including Av Foundation office. Only in case of Tamil Heritage Centre, the administration made an effort to investigate but unfortunately method used to have a forensic audit was not appropriate as it was a case of Technical Audit thus it not only resulted in monetary loss but also loss of time & energy of people involved. Further, it is to add that CAG during their recent audit, have issued an audit Para on THC. For several other observations, rather than taking corrective measures, counter allegations are being made on me just because my highlights touch sensitive nerve. In some cases, even attempt is being made to cover up and bury the issue for ever. The only sensitive way of going out of this controversy and find a way forward is to constitute an independent & impartial technically competent team, to investigate all the evidence, findings & arguments from all sources to suggest a constructive way ahead. The technical team could be either CAG Works Auditor or Institute of Technical Arbitrators, Chennai or KOVISE Foundation, Chennai or equivalent organization.
Being associated with Auroville Project over the last 22 years, based on my experience with past and present state of affairs, I strongly recommend for a Works Audit Team from CAG office to verify all the construction works and accounts for the last three years to understand the depth of problems and define corrective measures.
Moreover, involvement of Professors from Pondicherry Engineering in approving the estimate and checking RA Bills should be stopped by the end of this financial year and alternative method may kindly be explored in the meanwhile to start afresh from 1st April 2020.
I look forward to your understanding and necessary action so that the very core purpose of Auroville – The City at the Service of Truth is respected and transparency & equal opportunity in the sector of construction activities is offered to one and all.
I will remain available for interaction or clarification, if any.
With warmest wishes,
Govind Ranjan
EIA Coordinator, Accredited by QCI/NABET
Functional Area Expert - Water Pollution & Hydrology
Chartered Engineer
Valuer (Income Tax)
Technical Arbitrator
PS: Recommendations to GOI Grant work as presented in a Pour Tous community meeting held on January 6, 2020
Before releasing the GOI Grants, an experienced (minimum 15 years) technical person ensures that all GOI procedures are followed:
Centralized Processing and Repository system for construction activities Technical and Financial Review before projects approval and implementation E-Tendering is called in compliance with the GFR rules Expansion of GOI Grant Group by constitution of TRB (Technical Review Board) & DRB (Dispute Review Board) for successful monitoring and implementation of the project Architects and contractors abide by the GOI rules. Conflict of interest: Any person working with GOI grant should not be part of either GOI Grant Group or monitoring team. The need for additional expenditures is explained to the Foundation Office/GB, asking for approval, as per GFR.
An in-house qualified engineer is enrolled, practicing in India for at least 10 years, conversant with the GFR & CPWD rules.
The engineer inspects the work-site on a regular basis and monitors costs, quantities, qualities & time span.
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