Residents in eastern suburbs will have to brace for pathetic roads, all because of the indecisiveness shown by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over re-layering of streets.
Alleging the BMC’s apathy towards re-surfacing of roads in eastern suburbs, members of the standing committee on Tuesday adjourned their meeting.
Earlier this fiscal, BMC had awarded contracts worth around Rs253 crore to re-surface/improve roads in eastern suburbs. However, one of the contractors, Mahavir Infraprojects, bidding for the works was debarred from contesting.
The contractor was at the centre of a controversy following allegations that the firm used paver blocks of inferior quality at major junctions in ‘L’ ward and submitted fake bills.
However, the contractor moved the Bombay high court which stayed the BMC’s decision on May 6.
“Out of all the contractors bidding for the road re-surfacing work in eastern suburbs, J Kumar Infraprojects bid the lowest and Mahavir was the second-lowest. The former didn’t fulfil prerequisite criteria; yet it was considered and Mahavir Infraprojects was disallowed.
Mahavir then moved court, which decided in its favour,” committee member and group leader of Samajwadi Party (SP) Rais Shaikh said.
Now, despite the court order, the BMC still hasn’t taken any decision on whether to go for re-tendering or award the contract to Mahavir Infraprojects.
Members of the committee feel re-tendering will mean delay in re-surfacing/improving 117 roads in eastern suburbs.
“Why should residents from eastern suburbs suffer? If the BMC feels like it, it allows a contractor to compete anyhow. If it doesn’t, it snubs, like it happened in the case of Mahavir,” Shaikh said.
Shaikh found support from members of opposition and ruling parties too, following which committee chairman Rahul Shewale adjourned the meeting instructing the BMC to come clear over the matter.
The concerns were raised when members were to discuss a contract to award pothole repair works. The repair proposal now remains undecided as the meeting was adjourned.
In two minds
The BMC had awarded contracts worth around Rs253 crore to re-surface roads in eastern suburbs. However, Mahavir Infraprojects was debarred from contesting.
The firm then moved HC, which decided in its favour but the BMC still hasn’t decided whether to go for re-tendering or give the contract to Mahavir.
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