The Indian Express           05.08.2013

BMC moves to keep out blacklisted contractors

BMC has now announced a new vendor management system that will be
incorporated in the e-tender system to prevent blacklisted contractors
from bidding for civic works again.

In a meeting with Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC)
president Janardhan Chandurkar and other party members, including
Congress corporators Dnyanraj Nikam and Pravin Chheda, Municipal
Commissioner Sitaram Kunte said, “If we find that the work
specifications are not adhered to when filling potholes, we will
blacklist the contractors. To ensure that blacklisted companies do not
participate again in BMC’s bidding procedures, we are going to use a
vendor management system wherein all the contractors are registered with
their PAN cards, names and background information. This will help us
prevent the possibility of their re-entry through proxy companies,” said
Kunte.

Additional municipal commissioner S V R Srinivas added the vendor
management system concept was at a nascent stage. “This system should
be able to keep track of the company’s performance, rate their
attendance to problems and award them points on various performance
factors,” he said.

In June, the BMC appointed 14 contractors for filling potholes
across the city at a cost of Rs 59 crore. Last week, in addition to
slapping fines on these contractors to the tune of Rs 2.05 crore, the
contract of Atasha Ashirwad — in-charge of filling potholes in the
K-East (Andheri east, Vile Parle) and R-Central (Kandivali, Borivali)
wards — was also cancelled.

In a meeting with contractors and road engineers Saturday, Kunte
demanded that all roads used for transporting Ganpati idols be cleared
of potholes by month-end. “We are taking steps to ensure that Dahi Handi
and Ganpati celebrations are not disturbed by potholes,” Kunte said.

“If citizens are unable to lodge pothole complaints on the
website, they can call in pothole complaints on the BMC helpline number
1916,” he added.

Srinivas said road engineers in-charge of specific roads in the city
would also conduct a sample check of pothole-ridden roads in other parts
of Mumbai.

“They have filed their first 10-day report and we are analysing
these but we have also asked them to assigned them new roads for the
next week. If they fail the quality test, we will see what action has to
be taken,” Srinivas said.

He added that after the standing committee deferred approving a
proposal to reappoint SGS Consultants as the third party auditor for
road works in the western suburbs, BMC will now form a panel of third
party auditors for inspecting works in the city.