The Indian Express 13.08.2012
Double penalty for not repairing potholes under liability period
To ensure accountability in the quality and maintenance of newly
built roads, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will now levy
double penalty on contractors who fail to repair potholes on roads that
are under the defect liability period (DLP). A circular to this effect,
issued by Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte earlier this month,
states that if a contractor does not repair potholes on a road built by
him falling under the DLP, the appointed repair works contractors will
carry out the work and demand twice the amount spent on repairs from
him.
The DLP for asphalt roads is three years while that of concrete
roads is five years. This means, the contractor who has built the road
is responsible of maintaining it free of cost during this period.
Officials from the road department admitted that these contractors try
to evade handling of repairs and push the responsibility onto
contractors who are specifically appointed for road repairs. Chief
engineer (roads) G Agarwal said from this season onwards, the use of
computer-based pothole-tracking system coupled with this new circular
will ensure that a major chunk of roads are repaired on time.
“If the DLP contractor fails to repair a bad stretch within 48
hours, the existing repairs contractors will carry out the repair and
the DLP contractor will be liable to pay him twice the amount spent by
him,” said Agarwal.
Currently, the contractors are fined Rs 1,000 per pothole per
day. In the case of DLP roads, the contractors in all likelihood will be
penalised twice the amount. The BMC has 1,243 DLP roads, of which 335
are in the island city, 570 in the western suburbs and 338 in the
eastern suburbs.
