Engineers seek probe into cooling tower

YOGINDRA MOHAN
Patiala

The All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has sought the intervention of Union Power Ministry in the alleged fraud committed in the construction of a cooling tower at Raghunathpur.

Padamjit Singh, chairman of AIPEF, has written to the Union Ministry, Cabinet Secretary and the chairman of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) besides the members of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) seeking their intervention in the matter.

AIPEF has pointed out that the fraud in the construction of cooling tower of 600 MW unit Raghunathpur thermal power station was detected way back in October, 2010. Since then, the construction work beyond 38th lift has stopped. It has alleged that the extent of fraud was so enormous that this has paralysed the DVC administration. Only in February this year, a committee was constituted which gave the report in the third week of July, but no action has been initiated.

Padamjit Singh said that since the committee had concluded that due to deployment of lesser quantity of steel reinforcement, the structure was unsafe, and that there was no remedial measure, the logical step was obviously to take up the construction afresh. For this, there were two alternatives--to demolish the unsafe tower and the construct a new one or build a new tower at an alternative location.

AIPEF chairman said that while the DVC was not able to act against those behind this fraudulent construction agency, they are moving freely. He said while the DVC committee report was issued in July, the logical step was to put up the committee report to the DVC Board for accepttance and necessary action.

“This malaise can be rectified only if there is immediate intervention from the top and we want the Union Power Ministry to look into the matter on priority basis,” added Singh, while talking to Daily Post.