Chennai Metro Rail is now in the process of looking out for a contractor who will complete finishing work in two stations in the phase I extension project in north Chennai.
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This project — covering 9 km to link Washermanpet with Wimco Nagar — that is due for opening in June this year, is facing a challenge now, as a contract was terminated. Recently, Chennai Metro Rail ended the contract worth nearly ₹370 crore with IL&FS Transportation Networks Limited (ITNL) as the firm failed to meet the deadline and it was felt the progress of construction of work was poor, officials said. This firm had to build Korukkupet and Sir Theagaraya College stations in the 9 km stretch.
Following this, Chennai Metro Rail had immediately roped in two contractors to finish the remaining construction work of both these stations and the work has been on for a while now.
According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), they want a contractor just to finish some of the interior work. “We have just called tenders now for this work. We should finalise the contract in a month and award the contract. The new firm will have to provide sanitary installations, rainwater pipes and fittings, rainwater harvesting and tube wells and other such related work as well,” an official said.
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This is not the first time that CMRL had to terminate a contract in the Metro project. For instance, in the phase I project that covers 45 km of the city, Gammon India and CCCL contracts too were terminated by CMRL as the work was getting inordinately delayed.