E-Paper
₹77-lakh discrepancy in Jagroan bridge project: Ludhiana mayor serves show-cause notices to MC officials
Sandhu has sought explanation from officials who had sought an additional Rs 44 lakh for the project on pretext of a design change
Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu has served show-cause notices to the officials concerned of the municipal corporation after a discrepancy of Rs 77 lakh was found during a probe to evaluate the Jagraon Bridge retaining wall project which is being built at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore.
After the discrepancy emerged, Sandhu has sought an explanation from the officials who had sought an additional Rs 44 lakh for the project on pretext of a design change.
Confirming this, Sandhu said the officials have been asked to explain how the difference Rs 77 lakh arose.
The mayor had faced sharp criticism recently when contractors of a construction company had halted work due to non-clearance of bills.
The mayor had appointed two engineering students, one from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College and another from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to submit the report on the estimated cost on the project.
As per the report, the project could have been completed at a cost of Rs 1.73 crore.
As per sources, many of the MC officials who had sought approval for the additional Rs 44 lakh have been transferred.
JAGRAON BRIDGE PROJECT:
In July 2016, one side of the flyover was closed by railway authorities as it was declared unsafe for movement of vehicles. For two years, the project remained in limbo as railways refused to pool money for the construction. Finally, the Ludhiana MC handed over Rs 24.30 crore to the railway authorities.
In 2018, construction of the bridge began. The deadline was June 30, 2019, which was then extended to December 2019.
The MC took over the work in December end and attempts were made to complete it by March 2020.
However, the lockdown was imposed the deadline for the project was pushed to June. That deadline was also missed and it was promised to be thrown open for commuter on August 15. Now, the civic authorities are claiming that the work will be completed by September.
