More than Rs 83 lakh spent on painting 10 roads in city

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) paid a whopping sum of Rs 83,91,712 for painting lanes and zebra crossings on just 10 roads in the year 2007-08. HT reports.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) paid a whopping sum of Rs 83,91,712 for painting lanes and zebra crossings on just 10 roads in the year 2007-08.

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The information was revealed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to advocate Armin Wandrewala, who intervened in a public interest litigation (PIL) implementing traffic rules in the city, which came up for hearing in the Bombay high court on Monday.

The PIL was filed by the Bombay Bar Association seeking implementation of traffic rules.

Wandrewala filed an additional affidavit in the high court on Monday giving details of the information acquired by her under the RTI Act,

It said that the civic body had paid more than Rs83 lakh to M/s Asphalt Construction for carrying out painting or plastic work on only 10 roads in the city during the year 2007-08.

This means, the contractor was paid more than Rs8 lakh per road.

As against this, a minuscule penalty of Rs27,500 was imposed on M/s Asphalt Construction for finishing the work late.

According to the term of contract, the painting of lanes and zebra crossings had to be executed in such a manner so as to withstand traffic and which ought not to fade for the duration of the contract period.

Alleging that there has been breach of that condition, Wandrewala’s affidavit states: “Even the zebra crossing just outside the high court faded within less than a month of being painted”.

Although, M/s Asphalt Construction did not fulfil the contract in 2007-08, it was awarded contract for painting of lane and zebra crossing again in the year 2009-10.

The corporation had filed an affidavit last week saying the roads are to be painted by applying hot thermoplastic road marking material with glass sphere.

Due to heavy vehicular traffic, only three junctions can be painted in one day.

Slamming corporation’s affidavit, Wandrewala’s affidavit states that according to the contract “the tenderers shall simultaneously work at different locations as per the work order and complete work within the contract period”.

Anil Sakhare, counsel for the corporation, however, denied allegations made by Wandrewala.

A division bench of justice DK Deshmukh and justice KK Tated has reserved the judgement on the PIL for February 23.