The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will impose a penalty of at least four times the prevailing rate on utility agencies continuing road excavation after November 20, municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said on Thursday, warning of strict action against agencies delaying preparations for the Pune Grand Tour.
The civic body has directed contractors executing the road development packages for the international cycling event to speed up work, warning that contracts could be cancelled if they fail to meet deadlines. PMC and district administration have set November 20 as the deadline for completing pending private land measurements and joint surveys for high capacity mass transit route (HCMTR) and inner ring road projects.
The directions were issued at a joint review meeting chaired by Ram and district collector Jitendra Dudi on Thursday and attended by senior civic officials, representatives of utility agencies and contractors executing the four Grand Tour road packages. The civic body has not issued any fresh road-digging permissions since October 31.
The directions apply to agencies, including Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL), Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), Dinesh Engineering and Allied Digital. Ram expressed displeasure over delays in utility works despite agencies having received permissions within the stipulated period, officials said.
The agencies have been asked to submit written undertakings specifying the work they will complete by November 20, the number of teams they will deploy and the manpower available. They have been directed to restore roads and footpaths damaged during excavation.
{{/usCountry}}The agencies have been asked to submit written undertakings specifying the work they will complete by November 20, the number of teams they will deploy and the manpower available. They have been directed to restore roads and footpaths damaged during excavation.
{{/usCountry}}Contractors face action
Reviewing the four road development packages for the Grand Tour, Ram directed contractors to increase manpower for asphalting, footpaths, kerbstones, concrete repairs and other associated works. Most packages have been set a target of achieving more than 36% progress by the next review meeting, while those in the final stages must achieve at least 30% progress. The civic body has clarified that laying the asphalt layer alone will not qualify as completion of a road stretch. Footpaths, kerbstones, road markings and other associated works must also be completed.
“Contractors failing to meet the prescribed milestones will be issued show-cause notices,” Ram said.
PMC has directed ward officers, zonal deputy commissioners and the encroachment department to jointly remove encroachments, hawkers and other obstructions along the race route.
HCMTR, inner ring road surveys
At the meeting, the civic and district administrations reviewed the status of land acquisition for HCMTR and inner ring road projects. The pending private land measurements and joint surveys for the two projects must be completed by November 20, following which the land acquisition process is to be expedited. PMC plans to undertake beautification along the Grand Tour route, covering roads, junctions, road islands, walls and public spaces. Private developers and sponsors will be encouraged to take up beautification of selected roads and public spaces at their own cost, officials said.