PU wakes up to inspection of material before construction

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20

After complaints of poor quality of construction in new buildings which have come up on the campus in the past 16 years, Panjab University (PU) has now inserted sections, on pre-inspection of all material before being used in construction and change in specifications, in the Panjab University Accounts Manual 2012.

As per new sub clause (iv) in Rule 8.38, “Pre-inspection of all material should be carried before the same is allowed to be utilised in the works. The material on receipt at site should be duly inspected by an officer next in hierarchy to the officer-in-charge of the work who would certify that the material received at the site is strictly as per specifications mentioned in the work order and there is no deviation whatsoever.”

The sub clause further added that the material should be stamped so that it could subsequently be checked at the site even after its installation at a later stage. 

There is another addition of sub clause (e) in Rule 8.8 related to change in specification of material after allotment of work in the manual.

The sub clause (e) says, “After allotment of the work, there should not be any change in specifications of the material. Change in specifications should normally not be allowed in any case, until it is a dire necessity keeping in view the urgency of the work. However, in such cases, financial implications involved should invariably be brought on record for enabling the competent authority to consider such an amendment and take appropriate decision.”

It was Panjab University Registrar Col GS Chadha (retd) who called for incorporating new clauses. “There were some gaps in our manual. That is why we are incorporating new clauses. At times, some specifications are changed after the start of work,” said Colonel Chadha.  

But if Jaguar fitting is called for it should be Jaguar only. We should be able to check the quality of work at various stages,” he said.

Most constructions on Sector 25 campus

• Panjab University is investigating the poor quality of construction of buildings which have come up on campus in the past 16 years. Most of the constructions in this period have come on the Sector 25 campus of the university. 
• The departments and hostels have been asked to provide details of inadequacies in constructions conducted by the Executive Engineer’s office. Some new buildings are suffering from leakages and at some places tiles are falling. The Executive Engineer’s office has also been asked to provide details of the buildings, their construction cost, delay in construction and cost incurred.