Chennai Corporation to bar contractors who drag projects

K Ramanathan

Chennai: Delay in completing infrastructure projects by private contractors in Chennai will become a thing of the past as the Corporation in a recent stricture made them liable for delays in completion of works and even threatened to blacklist them if the works drag on for more than three months from the scheduled date of completion.

Accordingly, the Chennai Corporation has included a separate clause in the tender for any future projects.  “The civic body has made provisions in the tender that a contractor who delays work for more than three months will be blacklisted and will not be given any further contracts,” Chennai Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy announced.

Welcoming the move, property consultants, builders and residents opined that such move will strengthen the infrastructure status of the city. A few also pointed out the importance of maintaining quality in civic works being carried out in many parts of the city.

“The planning of storm water drains should be streamlined as in many areas residents let sewage into these drains. The quality of blue metal toppings on roads is another source of concern. We can’t lay a road every year as it will, not only put pressure on state’s exchequer, but also increase the height of the roads and make houses on both sides vulnerable to water logging. Milling is not being followed to relay roads. We have to improve the drainage facility also keeping in mind the needs of the residents. Officials should regularly inspect the project sites to ascertain the quality of construction by private contractors,” said Mohan Ram, a property consultant and retired civil engineer from CMDA.

At a recent Council meeting convened by the Chennai Corporation, the Mayor told the members that many contractors were delaying road works. “Delays of seven to eight months have been reported in several areas. Henceforth, contractors will only get three months more to complete their designated road works. The defaulters will be penalized for the delay,” he averred.

As a warning to other habitual defaulters, the civic body has blacklisted a contractor who failed to complete work on storm water drains connecting Chetpet Lake and Cooum River. The delay was for more than two years which has affected the monsoon preparedness of the city.

As on February 2014, the Corporation had issued work orders for 5,146 bituminous roads costing Rs 748.66 crore and 794 cement concrete roads worth Rs 116.90 crore.

However, in a setback to city’s infrastructure plans, Tamil Nadu Power Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TUFIDCO), the agency that provides funds for civic works across the city, has decided to release only half of the funds needed for the road projects.  

According to sources, the agency would only release Rs 432.78 crore for projects. Official sources said that lack of funds has forced the civic body to drop a few road work plans. But, a Corporation official requesting anonymity said they would use the funds from Chennai mega city development mission to complete all road projects.