BRTS road only 50% done past deadline

By this time, work on Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on Vadaj junction, Dudheshwar to Dilli Darwaja to Prem Darwaja should have been completed by the AMC contractor, Jivanlal Joitaram Patel.

But even after getting two extensions for its original deadline of September 24, 2009 the contractor could only complete 50% of road work on the two-kms stretch.

Ignoring the grave impact of the delay on the implementation of the project, the standing committee preferred to quash municipal commissioner IP Gautam's proposal on Friday to disqualify the contractor. The reason, committee chairman Asit Vora said was that if they disqualify the contractor, the work of Jamalpur bridge would also get affected as it was with the same contractor.

"We have however made the norms stricter for him. Now, he needs to complete work on two stretches by June 30. If he fails to complete the work the AMC would blacklist the contractor," assured Vora.

The original deadline for the work to be completed was April 24 in 2009 which was extended to December 1. The contractor failed to complete the work before the deadline and managed to get two more months' till February.

Similarly, work on Vadaj-Dudheshwar bridge for the BRTS has also been delayed. However in the standing committee
meeting, a penalty of 10% was imposed on the contractor.