Shiradi Ghat reconstruction may not start immediately

Contractor yet to gather enough material to commence work

District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai at a meeting with NHAI officials at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mangaluru on Monday.

The reason behind the repeated postponement of the second phase of reconstruction work on Shiradi Ghat road has now been revealed — the contractor has not gathered 70 per cent of the material required for the work nor has he completed the extension of 74 culverts on the stretch.

As a result, it is highly unpredictable that work would be taken up during the first half of 2017 also, even though the work order was issued in November 2015.

Only if the National Highways division of the State Public Works Department (PWD) fills the craters, then road users would be able to negotiate the 13-km Shiradi Ghat stretch from Gundiya to Kempu Hole Guest House without hassles.

A senior engineer with PWD’s NH Division told district in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai here on Monday that the government would take the decision whether to continue the contract or rescind it within a week.

Notices had been issued to the contractor to commence work but in vain, he said and added that the contractor’s financial position appears to be not good to take up the work.

EPC mode

Since the work involved expenditure of more than Rs. 50 crore, contract was awarded to GVR Infra Projects Ltd., on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode, instead of item-based contract, the engineer said.

As on date, only about 43 per cent construction material and 33 per cent sand required for the work have been collected by the contractor. Also, the contractor is yet to bring one more concrete paver machine to the work site, he said. While all the 74 culverts have to be extended to match the new width before the road is closed for reconstruction, the contractor has completed work on only 36.

Under these circumstances, the PWD is hesitant to ask the contractor to commence work, the engineer said.

Mr. Rai asked the PWD to relay the battered stretch of the road, if reconstruction work is not taken up immediately.

Deputy Commissioner K.G. Jagadeesha, Additional Deputy Commissioner Kumar and other officials were present.