BMC spent Rs68 crore on the maintenance of three unused Jetpatcher machines which were purchased to end the menace of potholes.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) received a lot of flak over potholes, especially during the monsoon, this year. In another revelation that is likely to sully the corporation’s image further, it has emerged that the BMC spent Rs68 crore on the maintenance of three unused Jetpatcher machines which were purchased to end the menace of potholes.
According to the contract, Rs4.06 crore was earmarked as the cost of maintenance.
The escalation in the maintenance cost happened because the contractor submitted bills of the pilot work carried out in the city by him along with the maintenance bills. The BMC sanctioned the amount without checking the details and paid it to the contractor without a fuss. Apart from spending money on the machines, the BMC also spent Rs59.31 crore to fill potholes this year and paid 24 other contractors.
The three Jetpatcher machines were meant to be used to fill potholes in the city, eastern and western suburbs. Filling potholes is a time-consuming task if done manually. Labourers need to dig out the damaged road surface before the process of repairing it starts. The patch also needs to be dry overnight so that a layer of asphalt can be laid on top. If the patch is wet, it takes that much more time for the asphalt to settle.
The Jetpatcher does all this is in one smooth operation and moves on to the next pothole even during the monsoon.
The machine was used on an experimental basis in 2009 and 15,000 sq mt of potholes were filled before the BMC finalised the contract for the purchase of three Jetpatchers. “The BMC signed a contract with SPACCO Infrastructure with the cost of maintenance fixed at Rs4.06 crore. The contract also specified that the contractors would have to train the BMC employees in using the machines,” said an official from the BMC’s road department.
However, a lobby of contractors entrusted with the road repair work refused to use the machines. They pointed out that the material used in the machines should be of correct temperature and size else it would not be possible to fix the potholes. “The Jetpatcher machines were purchased to fix potholes using modern technology and save time. However, after some contractors opposed, the BMC did not use the machines,” said a senior civic official.
Now, the road department has claimed it has spent all its money and wants more funds to be sanctioned during Monday’s civic general body meeting. “During the monsoon, the city kept on complaining about potholes, but the civic body could not fix the problem. However, the corporation has all the money to fill the contractor’s pockets,” said Rajhans Singh, opposition leader in the BMC. “The corporation is only working for the contractors.”
The issue will be discussed in Monday’s civic general body meeting.
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