A few days ago, based on a complaint, Corporation Commissioner G. Latha went on a surprise visit to Ward 12 to inspect the road work in progress. The contractor the civic body had engaged was laying the K.K. Pudur Road.
She found that the way the contractor was executing the work was not satisfactory and that there was no Corporation engineer around to supervise the work.
The Commissioner did not stop with that. Following a suggestion, she measured the height of a layer of water-bound macadam.
Ms. Latha said that it ought to be 25 cm as mentioned in the tender conditions. But it was only 17 cm.
The Commissioner then summoned the Corporation’s superintending engineer and also the ward engineer concerned, sought an explanation for the absence of engineers at the work spot and ordered them to explain why the contractor was not laying the road as per specification.
The Corporation had awarded a tender for Rs. 3.50 lakh to re-lay the road, measuring 800 m.
Ms. Latha said that even as the investigation about the poor execution of road work was on, she had prepared a list of road works where the contractors had overshot the deadline, had not completed the work, or had not begun the work at all.
The same held good for construction works and other activities as well.
The purpose was to fine or initiate appropriate action against the contractors and also engineers, if they were found wanting in their work.
To prevent the recurrence of such incident, she had asked engineers to furnish every day a list of works that would be taken up the next day. The engineers would have to mention the nature of work, where it was being executed, the cost and other details. “This will help me carry out surprise inspection and also ensure that the engineers are on the spot.”
As for slapping fine on contractors, the Commissioner said that she was in the process of finalising a list of contractors.
In the past few days, the Corporation had slapped fines on contractors executing underground drainage, and storm water drain works under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
