Kerala orders fresh probe into 2006 MC Road project linked to former PWD secretary Gyanesh Kumar

A fresh preliminary inquiry has been ordered into alleged corruption in the 2006 MC Road project, when the current Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was the Public Works Department secretary. ## What Happened The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau previously investigated charges that PWD officials demanded ₹2 crore to clear contractor bills, but the files were closed without a complete probe. Discrepancies in that 2006 investigation prompted the new inquiry, which is still awaiting its report. ## Allegations The Kerala State Transport Project contracts were awarded far above estimates: road improvement work estimated at ₹787 crore was contracted for ₹1,209 crore; road construction estimated at ₹244 crore was contracted for ₹343 crore; land acquisition estimated at ₹187 crore cost ₹323 crore. The state is said to have lost around ₹700 crore due to these inflated contracts, with additional claims of irregularities in land acquisition. ## Earlier Findings A 2004 CAG report noted an ₹84 crore loss from inflated tenders and questioned the decision to hire a foreign consultancy that was paid ₹50 crore, bypassing state agencies such as NATPAC and CESS. ## Political Response Public Works Minister P.K. Basheer told the Assembly, answering BJP MLAs B.B. Gopakumar, V. Muraleedharan and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, that the government will review the earlier report and may order a detailed investigation into the suicide of the PATI‑BEL project manager, a joint venture between a Malaysian firm and Bhageeratha Engineering. ## Context The MC Road reconstruction was a World Bank‑funded effort worth ₹215 crore, and the project’s engineer, Lee See Been, had raised complaints before his death by suicide in Malaysia.