The Indian Express            13.09.2013

Crucial MC meet held on indoor stadium

Representatives of various sports and the New Delhi-based company which is the consultant for Ludhiana Municipal Corporation to complete the pending indoor stadium on Pakhowal road held a crucial meeting with MC commissioner R K Verma at Zone A office on Thursday.

Sumit Jarangal, additional commissioner who was also present at the meeting, told Ludhiana Newsline, "Since it is going to be a multi-purpose stadium, it was necessary to invite suggestions from representatives of various sports. We have incorporated their suggestions."

Sources said that a discussion on various points like location of washrooms and changing rooms of players, designing for gymnastics and changes in design as per international standards was held. Representatives from various sports like hockey, table tennis, basketball and gymnastics were present at the meeting.

Also, representatives of the New Delhi-based company Darashaw Company, which are official consultants of MC for completing the stadium, gave a presentation at the meeting.

However, sources said that seeing the work which was pending, the stadium would not be completed in one year, as Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria had claimed in June this year.

This indoor stadium has drawn criticism from various corners as its construction started after a wait of seven long years. First, the project was proposed in 2003 and then due to various hiccups, it was stopped midway in 2007. The construction finally began in 2011 and since then various deadlines have been proposed by the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation but it is nowhere near completion.

The Hindu            13.09.2013

Contractors to dig deep into pockets to blacktop city roads

About 20 contractors who failed to ensure the quality of roadworks in the city have been asked to repair them at their own expense.

The contractors have agreed to begin repairs next month and complete it before November-end.

“They have been served notices by the Kochi Corporation holding them responsible for the poor quality work,” said Soumini Jain, chairperson of the Works Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.

Taking responsibility for roads developing potholes shortly after work, contractors agreed to repair them when weather conditions became conducive, she said. The contractors had been told that the corporation would not fund repair works as the roads were damaged within the guarantee period. “None of them objected to the notice; all have agreed to re-tar roads at their own expense,” Ms. Jain said.

The poor quality of roadworks had invited the public’s wrath which found resonance in corporation council meetings. Cutting across party lines, councillors demanded action against erring contractors. Some even called for blacklisting the contractors. Some roads were damaged within weeks of repairing them, which resulted in public outcry against contractors.

Ms. Jain said the temporary filling of potholes was carried out in all possible areas. “Repairing the roads using wet rubble will be a futile exercise as it will not remain in tact with bitumen, and will come off the road quickly. Hence, the works will have to wait till the rain recedes and dry weather prevails,” she said.

At the same time, the contractors complained to the civic authorities that the failure to provide at least 48 hours’ time for the repaired road to settle was affecting the quality of work. Vehicular traffic was allowed on freshly laid roads within hours of re-laying them, they said. The bitumen and rubble used would be removed as vehicles sped through the roads, they complained.

According to Ms. Jain, it was not possible to block vehicular traffic along freshly re-laid interior roads as roadworks were progressing on some of the major roads. Moreover, there would be increased vehicular pressure on city roads during various festival seasons making it difficult to completely block traffic, she said.