TMC fines contractor for shoddy road works

In a crackdown on shoddy work and lack of safety measures found in the ongoing road works across Thane, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) commissioner has served a show cause notice to the concerned executive engineer and levied a fine worth ₹5 lakh on the contractor

THANE: In a major crackdown on shoddy work and lack of safety measures found in the ongoing road works across Thane, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) commissioner has served a show cause notice to the concerned executive engineer and levied a fine worth ₹5 lakh on the contractor.

Thane, India - May, 30, 2023: Road work undertaken at Manpada GB road Thane ,in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on,Tuesday, May, 30, 2023. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had launched “Changing Thane” campaign in his home constituency after taking over the reins of the state. To improve road conditions and beautify Thane, the state government had allocated funds worth ₹605 crore to the TMC for 281 road works. Of these, ₹127 crore were proposed to be spent on the improvement of 214 roads, while the rest on 155 roads . The works are underway in full swing across Thane with a May 31 deadline. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shinde also paid a visit last week to personally monitor the execution. During his visit, several flaws were noticed and the TMC chief Abhijit Bangar has now cracked the whip.

“There is delay in nullah cleaning work at Vasant Vihar Conwood chowk. Show cause notices have been served to the executive engineer to explain the delay in this work,” said Bangar. He also served a show cause notice to Nisarg Landscape Pvt Ltd, the contractor tasked to do maintenance at Tikujini Wadi Circle. Trees were not watered, garbage was found dumped and no plantation took place in open spaces as mandated.

Similarly, trees were supposed to be planted between two roads and open spaces from Gavandbaug to Hiranandani Meadows, but it was not done. The TMC has served a show cause notice to Ms Pioneer Outdoor Media Solutions Pvt Ltd.

Further the civic body chief has levied a fine of ₹5 lakh on M/s R P S Infrastructure Pvt Ltdm the contractor, for not providing any sort of safety gears to the workers working on road mastic asphalting at Vartak nagar, Lokmanya Savarkar Nagar, Naupada, Kopri, Kalwa areas.

“No safety gears like hand gloves, helmet, safety shoes were provided by the contactor,” said Bangar. Another company Vyankatesha was tasked to clean the roads at Pawar Nagar, but the labourers were was found without uniforms and safety gears. The cleaning work was also done shoddily for which a notice was served and a ₹10,000 fine was imposed.

“The contractor has been asked to take steps to ensure the work is done efficiently and also explain why the firm should not be blacklisted,” added Bangar.

“It is true that many places the civic body has undertaken works which will ensure we have a safer roads. At the same time, it is also true that a lot of these contractors do not follow any safety norms. They also don’t do the barricading to avoid accidents. In many places, the roads were dug up in the middle and you don’t even come to know. The civic body should take care all this in a strict way,” said Shalini Upadhyay, 33, a resident of Vartak Nagar, Thane.