CHENNAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a case against a senior National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official in Tamil Nadu for engaging in a criminal conspiracy with two private contractors — KNR Constructions and Gayathri-SPL.
M Muthudayar, who worked as the project director at NHAI’s project implementation unit in Karaikudi, allowed the contractors to claim contingency charges in all the bills without any proof. The accused had cheated the government for nearly four years and caused a loss worth 1.38 crore to the exchequer, according to a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the CBI, Madurai, on December 9 (Thursday). In 2014, NHAI under phase III of the National Highway Development Project (NHDP) awarded the contract work for improvement and augmentation of Thanjavur-Pudukottai section of National Highway 226 to Gayathri-SPL (a joint venture). The estimated cost of this highway project was Rs.158 crore. The contractor was given the task of two-laning the 52-km stretch with paved shoulders and shifting of electric poles en route.
