The dispute between a corporator and a contractor on the quality of renovation work of Subbaiah Reddy Higher Primary School at Jogupalya has ruined the education of several students.
The dispute between a corporator and a contractor on the quality of renovation work of Subbaiah Reddy Higher Primary School at Jogupalya has ruined the education of several students.
“The school had more than 300 students until 2007. The number started dwindling from 2007. There was a need to take up repair works as it was difficult to conduct classes during the monsoon,’’ said a teacher.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) invited tenders on August 17, 2007, for the construction of the school building, at an estimated cost of `46 lakh.
The work was assigned to contractor R Manohar. However, the cost of construction had escalated to `99 lakh. Even corporator M Gautham Kumar had recommended to the joint commissioner (West), BBMP, to approve the cost stating that the delay in completion of the work had been causing inconvenience to the students as they had to attend classes in another school.
However, later, Kumar wrote to the joint commissioner not to release the funds.
He stated that the contractor has not only delayed the work but has also failed to ensure quality.
C Babu, Manohar’s partner, wrote to the executive engineer, Shantinagar Division, BBMP, stating that he had carried out the work as per the direction of the engineers. “They must have inspected the work earlier and declared it substandard. What’s the point in delaying the payment now? The contractor demanded 10% of the amount as commission. He found the work substandard when I asked him to clear my bills,” Babu said.
Teachers bear the brunt
With no facilities in the school, the number of students has come down to 90 from 300. There was only one student in Class I and four students in Class II on Thursday morning.
There was no water and the clogged toilets were unfit for use. “We have to collect `25 from each teacher to pay the men for cleaning up the toilets. How long can we pay?” lamented a teacher.
Students have to bring water from their homes to clean the plates after the mid-day meal.
N Satyavathi, headmistress of the school, said that the delay in reopening the school building has been causing lot of problems for teachers and students.
M Nischal Prakash, education officer, BBMP, said the standing committee on education has decided to reopen the school by June.
R Ambikapathi, general secretary, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Contractors’s Association, has termed the corporator’s letter to the joint commissioner as a blackmail tactic.
“The corporator is free to comment on the work but he has no knowledge on the quality. He is harassing the contractor for money,” said Ambikapathi.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}