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Patna,(BiharTimes): The Vigilance Bureau has been taking its time to arrest former Commissioner of Patna Municipal Corporation K Senthil Kumar, 1996-batch IAS, against whom it had filed an FIR on July 21. At present, Senthil, who is originally from Chennai, is the Director Census, government of Bihar.
According to sources it has been preparing adequate grounds to lodge a Disproportionate Asset (DA) case against him after collecting corroborating evidence.
The Vigilance has also booked beneficiary companies, builders and land owners.
A 412-page Vigilance Bureau investigation report reveals how Senthil and 13 others were allegedly engaged in large-scale bungling of public money.
He, along with others, illegally cleared high-rise building proposals overlooking civil aviation and fire safety norms, awarded garbage disposal contract worth about Rs 24 crore to a company having only Rs 10 lakh as its annual turnover, sat over tax dues in connivance with the local hotel lobby and land mafia, and cleared buildings in gross violation of rules.
What sounds strange is that in just one year as the PMC Commissioner 130 cases of corruption have been detected.
The Vigilance Bureau report said that the PMC incurred losses of over Rs 8.76 crore due to these irregularities. The estimates of the quantum of loss is likely to go up after further investigation.
He also faced corruption charges during his tenure as the District Magistrate of Munger.
It needs to be recalled that investigation against him was initiated only after a complaint from the Chief Minister’s secretariat on February 23. Senthil then reportedly went in hiding. However, later he was interrogated by the Vigilance Bureau.
It was only on July 21 that an FIR was lodged under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code for cheating, forgery, falsification of account and criminal breach of trust by a public servant.
The Vigilance investigation report, on which the FIR is based, said that Senthil along with his PMC colleagues “connived with building mafia, suppliers and beneficiaries to adopt such a criminal pattern to render the PMC economic losses and cause physical, material and psychological damages to Patna people for personal gains”.
“Senthil, as PMC Commissioner, was engaged in gross financial irregularities, forgery and fraud by misusing his power to collect heavy bribe money from beneficiaries,” the Vigilance Bureau further said.
The investigation revealed that during his tenure the fire fighting department gave No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to several buildings even though they did not ask for it. There were instances when NOCs were given where not even minimum 20 feet road was available between two apartments — mandatory for fire tenders to reach the place.
Senthil and PMC committee members “worked for the benefit of building and land mafia and his own personal gains” and that led to the PMC incurring a loss of Rs 7,46,66,669.
During Senthil’s one year tenure, the PMC charged lesser fees from six Patna-based advertising companies and as a result incurred a loss of Rs 65,73,216.
Senthil assessed holding tax of five Patna hotels at Rs 64,41,225, but did not serve demand notice to them due to the “influence of the hotel lobby”. The Vigilance Bureau questioned why holding tax of other business establishments and buildings was not assessed.
Senthil put additional financial load on the PMC by awarding contract of Rs 21.25 crore (annual expenses) to a garbage disposal management company, a2z Infrastructure Private Limited, for five years. The PMC did not conduct any financial assessment before awarding the contract. Senthil did not get the company’s agreement approved by a permanent committee and PMC Board. The Vigilance Bureau suggests that giving Rs 728 for disposal of per metric ton garbage was a very high rate, especially for a city that produces 800-900 metric tonnes garbage per day.
According to report Senthil awarded contract of Rs 82.61 lakh to a Chennai-based company, Icotec, to provide two-way communication systems to the PMC. He did not bother to know about the company’s turnover.
Senthil allegedly put financial burden of Rs 11.24 lakh on the PMC by overlooking payment discrepancies of the employees. He also made illegal reappointments/ promotions.
The investigation report also said that Senthil’s brother, K Ayappan, had been running Sudha Super Market, a departmental store, and Chennai Café, a restaurant, from the Harihar Complex, Patna. The Vigilance report said though papers showed Ayappan as its owner, the introducer of Ayappan’s bank account was a firm that had been given financial engagements by Senthil at the PMC and earlier at Munger.

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