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Citing winter, Chandigarh MC puts off road recarpeting work again
Work to begin after March next year; earlier, the civic body had postponed it due to Covid-induced lockdown and monsoon
Work to begin after March next year; earlier, the civic body had postponed it due to Covid-induced lockdown and monsoon
After Covid-19 lockdown and monsoon, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has hit another hurdle in starting road repair and recarpeting works in the city—the onset of winters.
MC officials say they will now be able to start road repairs for the current financial year (2020-2021) only by the end of February or March, when the winter season ends. The civic body has not even finished last year’s pending works, worth Rs 23 crore, the deadline for which has now been revised to November-end.
Speaking at the general house meeting on October 29, MC commissioner KK Yadav stated that MC would complete the pending road works from the previous years. “But for this year’s road recarpeting, work will start after winter season ends. MC will prioritise road recarpeting as per the condition of a road.”
He also directed the MC engineering department officials to consult councillors while making the priority list of roads which require urgent repairs.
Even with funds, MC can’t complete work
The delay in road recarpeting comes even though the UT administration has allocated dedicated funds for the work. The MC had floated 13 tenders worth ₹40 crore in June but failed to get any bidders. It re-invited the applications by floating the tenders again in July. The tendering process is still going on.
“The delay in road recarpeting work is not because of paucity of funds. Earlier, the tender couldn’t be floated because of the pandemic outbreak Later when the lockdown was eased and the work from previous years for resumed the monsoon hit the city. While MC has now started road repair works pending from the last year, the allotment of tenders for this year’s road work is still under process. Even if these are allotted, the work is unlikely to start till February/March 2021,” said an MC official.
Of around, Rs 33 crore allocated last year for financial year 2019-2020, the MC has completed works worth Rs 10 crore while works worth Rs 23 crore are still outstanding. The MC plans to complete this by November-end.
Questioning the way the MC is approaching the road recparting work in the city, Vinod Vashisht, convener of the City Forum of Residents Welfare Organisations (CFORWO),said, “While dilapidated roads in the city are not being repaired, the MC has taken up the recarpeting of paid parking areas. Similarly, roads in good conditions are being repaired. Also, roads repaired only a few months back have already started to break.”
Criticising the MC for its failure to complete road repair works, Hitesh Puri, chairman, Chandigarh Resident Association Welfare Federation, said, “Generally, MC officials give excuse that they don’t have funds but in this case, they have abundant funds and still can’t finish the work. They should at least complete the repair of V6 roads.”
105 roads to get attention
In the current financial year, as many as 105 major and minor city roads will get the MC’s attention, officials said. On 61 roads, major recarpeting will be undertaken, while 44 roads will undergo repair and maintenance. Widening of some existing roads will also be carried out.
