MC stops contractor’s payment for poor carpeting of road

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, July 16

Under fire from various quarters for poor quality of carpeting and road works by certain politically-connected contractors, the Municipal Corporation has rejected carpeting of Sant Nagar, opposite SCD Government College for Boys, for poor workmanship and use of substandard material. This particular stretch of road has been got recarpeted at the risk and cost of the contractor. Further, the MC has also refused to entertain claim of the said contractor for laying premix in Maharaj Nagar (Near Circuit House) terming it as unauthorised and carried out without any work order.

In a D.O. letter (No. 74/MOED dated July 12, 2018) written by the MC Joint Commissioner to the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), Local Government, Punjab, it has been stated that work for laying premix carpet on roads in Sant Nagar in Block D, carried out by a contractor (Ceigul India Private Limited) was found to be of substandard quality on the basis of a report received from Executive Engineer (Buildings and Roads branch) of the MC, and it was rejected.

“A notice was issued to the contractor for his failure to execute work strictly as per specifications laid down in the work order and the firm was asked to relay premix on roads in Sant Nagar locality at its own risk and cost – which has been done by the contractor,” says the letter.

The MC Joint Commissioner further intimated the CVO that the said firm had laid premix carpet in streets of Maharaj Nagar, Near Circuit House without any approved estimate and work order which was also rejected. The firm has been duly intimated that no claim for the work carried out in Maharaj Nagar without any work order, would be entertained by the MC.

The DO letter of the MC to the CVO has maintained that no payment had been made to the construction agency for any of the aforesaid works.

Executive Engineer (B and R) Rahul Gagneja said works mentioned in the work order relating to laying of premix carpet had not been completed by the construction agency. “All works executed by the firm, including the one of relaying premix carpet in Sant Nagar, will be thoroughly checked for material and workmanship before any claim of the firm is entertained,” he added.

It was on a complaint lodged by the Council of RTI Activists president Rohit Sabharwal to the Chief Minister about poor quality of carpeting of roads in Sant Nagar and Maharaj Nagar that the then Adviser to the Local Bodies Minister had sought a report in this matter from the Vigilance wing of the Local Government Department.

Political pressure

While the MC officials were reluctant to elaborate about the unauthorised work executed by the contractor in Maharaj Nagar, it was reliably learnt that roads were carpeted under political pressure from the then area councillor with eyes on civic elections which were to be held in February 2018.