Tainted past: Kolkata flyover builder IVRCL was blacklisted in Jharkhand

The Hyderabad-based company under scanner in the Kolkata flyover collapse has a tainted history in at least one state and has come under fire in another where it is executing several projects, including central government schemes. The company IVRCL – running in losses for the last few quarters – termed the incident “an act of God” and dismissed allegations of negligence.

On Friday, as a team of Kolkata police arrived in Hyderabad to question officials over the incident, the spotlight was back on the company headquartered in the posh Banjara Hills.

While the whereabouts of the top management, including chairman and managing director E Sudhir Reddy were not known, two officials addressed the media to defend the company.

In Jharkhand, the company faced a CBI probe for allegedly paying Rs 22 crore as kickback to former CM Madhu Koda to earn contract for rural electrification. However, the CBI later asked a special court to close the case in 2013 as it did not find any evidence against the accused.

“The state government black listed the company for haphazard work and demanded Rs 750 crore from it for loss and damages,” said advocate Naveen Kumar, who represented the Jharkhand electricity board in high court.

In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena on Friday demanded that all ongoing projects in the state by the firm should be probed for technical soundness.

Currently, IVRCL is involved in several road projects in districts like Pune, Satara, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Wardha. It has also bagged several irrigation projects in the state. The firm’s website shows that it has a share of public infrastructure contracts in several states including Andhra Pradhesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat.

The under-construction flyover in Kolkata’s Burrabazar area partially collapsed on Thursday, killing 24 and injuring another 90 people.