Claims of “Hastiness” and “Losses” dismissed as mischief

THE Ministry of Agriculture, in response to a press statement titled “Zulfikar Mustapha’s action will cost taxpayers millions”, issued by Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul, on October 18, 2023, has vehemently refuted the claims as misleading and inaccurate.

In the press release, the Ministry points out that the allegations in Mahipaul’s statement are not based on factual information but rather seem to sensationalise the situation.

The Ministry explains that, on September 25, 2023, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), acting upon the advice of experienced consultants, decided to terminate the contract for the Black Bush Polder pump station. This decision was made due to several technical breaches by the contractor, Yunas Civil and Building Contracting Services.

The Ministry clarified that these breaches included a failure to address the contract’s terms, a failure to execute works as per the contract, and the inability to achieve the scheduled progress of works in accordance with the approved work programme, all of which amounted to a fundamental contract breach.

The Ministry also noted discrepancies in design specifications, such as issues with the reinforcement of pile caps. Additionally, concrete strength did not meet the required standards. As a result, the Ministry had no choice but to terminate the project.

Contrary to Mr. Mahipaul’s claims that valuable materials will deteriorate, translating into financial loss, the Ministry asserted that the steel rods are being relocated to a safe place, and the allegations are wholly inaccurate.

Moreover, the Ministry took the opportunity to address other procurement issues, suggesting that Mr. Mahipaul should have done a similar examination of “fire pumps” procured by the previous administration, which reportedly cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and have not been efficiently operated.

The Ministry called Mr. Mahipaul’s recommendation to pour concrete over the steel rods “absurd” since it is not based on any technical advice, and the entire structure would need replacement, given the failed concrete compressive test.

Furthermore, the Ministry suggested that if Mr. Mahipaul had engaged with the Authority, he would have received this technical information, highlighting his lack of expertise in these matters.

The Ministry characterised Mr. Mahipaul’s statements as misleading and demanded that he retract the incorrect claims. It also emphasised its commitment to addressing project-related statements to ensure accuracy and to avoid sensationalising issues.