PWD saddled with funds crunch Most projects earmarked for city in limbo

 

 

 

 

 

 

The repairing work of Ravi Bhavan is pending, maintenance of various buildings under Public Works Department (PWD) is not being done in a regular manner, Laxminarayan Innovation and Technological University (LITU) is awaiting the launch of work on their proposed hostels, PWD is struggling to convince the contractors to install height barriers at Sitabuldi flyover as they did not get their money of earlier works. This is the overall situation and even the PWD officials and the bodies which have been handed over the work too are finding themselves helpless. Recently, various contractor associations held demonstrations, expressing their anguish about non-payment of their bills. Across the State, bills worth Rs 46,000 crore are pending.

 

Some contractors are on the verge of going bankrupt. One senior official of PWD at Mumbai told ‘The Hitavada’ on condition of anonymity, “We have to manage some works, which are asked by senior leaders at our level. We take efforts to convince the contractors that they would get payment soon. Sometimes, our goodwill works but then we lose the authority of giving them certain instructions because we being under obligation.” LITU prepared a plan of developing its infrastructure, but contractor stopped the work as the dues were not paid. The Petro Research Laboratory, whose estimated cost is Rs 10 crore, has not moved an inch, the girls’ hostel work is awaiting daybreak. The problem is same--non-payment of contractors. Citizens have not forgotten the mishap averted at Sitabuldi flyover when a truck having 23,000 litre petrol struck the newly-installed height barrier.

 

The truck damaged the barrier installed by the World Bank unit of PWD. The officials concerned somehow convinced the contractor whose previous payment is pending. Now Commissioner of Police Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal has again asked PWD to install the barrier and PWD is finding itself in trouble as the contractor is awaiting his two previous payments. In the absence of height barrier, heavy vehicles are plying on the bridge posing danger to the human lives. The maintenance of ministers’ bungalows at Ravi Bhavan and Nag Bhavan, MLA Hostel and other structures is pending. The contractor associations have threatened to launch a state-wide strike if the dues are not paid by the Government soon.