No more extensions for pending development works: Patiala MC

With contractors repeatedly delaying completion of ongoing development works, Patiala municipal corporation (MC) has decided not to extend deadlines for the works initiated before Parliamentary elections.

The civic body has taken the decision as it has been facing flak from the residents as the contractors have not completed development works including relaying of roads and laying of water supply and sewage lines.

“The municipal corporation had awarded tenders of development works worth ₹50 crore in the start of 2019, but during audit, it came to fore that only 50% work has been completed so far,” said an official, pleading anonymity.

He added that most of these works have already missed their deadlines in July.

In its finance and contract committee (F&CC) meeting in September, the MC had directed the contractors to complete all pending projects. The MC had even said that no new work will be allotted to them until the ongoing ones are completed.

Moreover, the civic body has already scrapped works worth ₹3 crore that were allotted from 2015 and remained incomplete till 2017. 

Patiala mayor Sanjeev Sharma Bittu said that they have already directed the contractors to complete works at the earliest and have informed them that no further extensions will be given.

“The deadlines will be extended only in cases, where the is delay on part of the MC in terms of providing required logistics,” he said.

The mayor added that the MC had awarded tenders in clusters aiming to complete the work before deadline, but it has not gone as per plan.

Most projects initiated before polls

The Congress leaders went on a laying foundation stone spree and had left no stone unturned to initiate the project in their respective areas before the announcement of Lok Sabha election on March 10 this year.

The projects started just before elections include upgrade of sewerage treatment plant worth ₹15 crore in Patiala, issuing of work orders for the much awaited dairy-shifting project worth ₹13.5 crore, door-to-door collection of solid waste, installation of semi-smart underground waste bins and compactors for ₹5.25 crore, development of slum colonies worth ₹9 crore.

The Patiala MC had also kicked off other development works worth ₹30 crore in all 60 wards under its jurisdiction. The works include construction of roads, development of parks and others.

‘Cluster formula: A failure’

In February, the municipal corporation (MC) had given green signal to development projects worth ₹44 crore, including  inclusive overhauling of all 60 wards under the MC’s jurisdiction and overall development of slums and underdeveloped colonies across city.

Moreover, the civic body had bifurcated the works into phases so that tenders can be awarded separately in order to finish the work in time.

“We had divided 60 wards into clusters and had done grouping of similar development works so that all works could be carried out in one go, under a single tender,” an official said.

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