The Hindu : TTZ contract: Mayawati Govt. 'flouting' norms

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 06, 2003

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TTZ contract: Mayawati Govt. 'flouting' norms

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 5. The Rajya Sabha member, Renuka Chowdhury, has accused the Mayawati Government of flouting the norms in granting the contract for the development of Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), which would cover the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and other monuments of Agra. Addressing a press conference here today, Ms. Chowdhury charged the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister with putting the environmental security of the national monument at risk. A Rs. 175-crore project was jeopardising monument, she said.

The Central Pollution Control Board had adversely commented on the quality of work and wrote to the Environment Ministry giving details of how the construction work was lacking in environmental assessment. The contract was awarded to the National Project Constructions Corporation (NPCC), which in turn appointed an architect to ``architectural and consultancy services for the development of TTZ Heritage Corridor at Agra'' without verifying their credentials. ``The NPCC should have conducted a survey, prepared a feasibility report and drawings,'' she said, adding that Rs. 4.25 crores had been approved for the purpose. The NPCC had also engaged a firm, which was out of work for the last three years and released Rs. 17 crores to it.

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