Will review decision to reduce blacklisted contractors’ penalty, says Mumbai civic chief

Two contractors had approached a civic official, seeking to reduce their penalty period from six to four years.

Taking cognisance of a two-member panel’s decision to bring blacklisted contractors back in the race to bag new contracts, civic chief Ajoy Mehta has said that he will review the panel’s decision and will give a final nod soon.

The reduction of penalty will allow the contractors to bid for a ₹100-crore garbage collection contract, tenders for which are soon to be floated by BMC. (HT file photo)

The penalty period given to blacklisted contractors has been reduced to allegedly convenience their entry to bid for the ₹100-crore garbage collection contract. “I will take a serious review of the panel’s decision. A final call on this matter will soon be given,” said Mehta.

Two civic contractors, Buildwell Construction and HMV Associates, were blacklisted for six years after an internal inquiry found them guilty of submitting bills in a sewerage project that had not been executed. The contractors then approached the additional municipal commissioner (AMC) to reduce their punishment period from six to four years. The AMC then referred the plea to a panel of two deputy municipal commissioners, who were to take a final call after considering the contractors’ merit and past work experience.