The city Corporation has recommended Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited to impose a penalty on project management consultant IPE Global Private Limited for repeated failures to stick to deadlines.
Over the past two months, there have been many instances of the local body pulling up the consultant for delays in submitting tender documents and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of projects. There has also been a delay in appointing key technical and managerial staff in the consultancy. Some tender documents that were supposed to be submitted in August are yet to be turned in. There was also delay in submission of the situational analysis report.
At a review meeting of the Smart City project held here on Monday, the projects that need to be taken up on priority were also discussed. A multi-level parking lot project is to be taken up near the Palayam market. It was decided to customise the DPR for multi-level parking lots at Putharikkandam maithanam and on the Corporation office premises under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme that were approved in December last year.
For the electric auto rickshaw scheme under the Smart City project, a buy-back option is being proposed for the existing auto rickshaw drivers. According to a Corporation official, the plan is to have at least 50 such auto rickshaws on the road by year end. Other projects to be soon taken up include Palayam market redevelopment and slum improvement at Rajaji Nagar. The management consultant has submitted DPRs for three projects – improvement of public toilets, open gym and information kiosk. The Corporation has asked the consultant to submit the DPR for smart bus shelters at the earliest.
