The Times of India            13.11.2013 

AMC begins work on road from Town Hall to Little Flower school

AURANGABAD: Six months after the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) allotted the work order of the Development Plan (DP) Road between Town Hall and Little Flower School via Makai Gate, the contractor only recently began work on the site. Local residents feel that the lack of monetary provisions might further delay the work.

Residents on Tuesday said that the work was suspended four or five months back, after it had begun. "Some development activities were initiated by the contractor immediately after the tender was allotted, but soon it was called off. It was said that monsoon was not favourable for building the road," said Manoj Sadhunkhe, a local.

The stretch was cleared of structures and encroachments in the April 2011 drive launched by the then municipal commissioner Purshottam Bhapkar. "The municipal body had promised that the road would be broadened and smoothened over a very short span of time, but that did not happen. Over the recent monsoons, huge potholes came up on the road, making commuting difficult," Sadhunkhe said.

Deputy engineer in the AMC K R Kulkarni on Tuesday said the civic body had asked the contractor to carry out the work without interruption. "It is being carried out under the deferred payment system," Kulkarni said, stating that the total cost of the project is Rs 12.5 crore.

Kulkarni furnished technical reasons for the delay in the road construction, saying that work could not be carried out during the monsoons. "Now, the work is going on in full swing and the stretch would soon be completed. We have completed land acquisition for road widening and cleared illegal encroachments," he said.

Local corporator Milind Dabhade said that the municipal body had initiated the work due to the agitations by the locals. Dabhade had threatened to prevent AMC employees and officials from entering the main administrative block on June 5 if they failed to start the work on the stretch. He had warned that over 1,000 party workers, including women, would assemble in front of the AMC office and participate in the agitation. Dabhade had also said that he would personally block the entry of the municipal commissioner and would not allow him to enter the office if the AMC failed to take up the work. Dabhade called off the proposed agitation following municipal commissioner Harshdeep Kamble's assurances.