Guwahati, Aug. 11: Former Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority CEO Pritam Saikia today said he was unaware of any "unfair dealings" when he signed an ag-reement with the US-based Louis Berger group for project management consultancy in a Guwahati water supply scheme.
"Being the CEO of GMDA, I had to sign the agreement. I do not want to comment anything on present allegations of bribe being paid by Louis Berger to get jobs as consultants to a water supply project in Guwahati. But I signed the agreement about five years ago since I found the deal in order," Saikia told waiting television reporters outside the Assam Assembly here this morning. He was in the Assembly to attend the ongoing summer session.
There were reports last month that Louis Berger had bribed government functionaries in Goa and Assam to get jobs as consultants in the implementation ofprojects.
In Guwahati, it is a water supply project, which is being implemented by GMDA with funds received under Japan International Co-operation Agency.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday ordered a CID inquiry into the allegations that the American company had paid bribe to government functionaries in the state.
Evading a direct reply to the question on ignorance by the then Guwahati development department minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about the Louis Berger scam, Saikia said the GDD had approved the agreement with the US-based firm.
"You (the reporters) know how the government functions. All departments concerned, including GDD, had given their approval for which I had sign the deal as the CEO of GMDA," Saikia said. The GMDA is under Guwahati development department.
Sarma last month sought an inquiry into alleged bribery of Indian officials by Louis Berger. Sarma, a sitting Congress MLA, was GDD minister between 2006 and April 2011 and the "deal" was struck between 2009 and early 2010.
Louis Berger, Japanese firm Nihon Psuido and Shah Technical Consultants were engaged as project consultants.
The Opposition today raised the demand for a CBI inquiry into the Louis Berger scam.
"All persons concerned, including the chief minister, should be brought under the ambit of investigation into allegation of bribes by the US company to the Assam government officials. If the company had resorted to such unfair practice, the chief minister and the then GDD minister were aware of such a development," BJP MLA Ranjit Das told reporters outside the Assembly.
Das said the CID is not in a position to investigate such a serious crime. "The CBI must be entrusted with the job to probe this case," he said.
The AGP and AIUDF have also supported the demand for a CBI probe.
