The Times of India  24.08.2010

KOLKATA: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has sent the public works department (PWD) a list of 34 city roads under the latter's jurisdiction for proper upkeep. PWD officials said they were taking up maintenance work and might hand over a few of their roads to KMC, if required.

PWD minister Kshiti Goswami said his department had only a few major roads in the city under its jurisdiction and had already taken up maintenance work on some of them. "We are working on the widening of Raja S C Mullick Road. We have also repaired damaged stretches of quite a few roads. If KMC wants to take over some of our roads, we may consider handing them over," the minister said.

Of the 34 PWD roads in question, the major ones are Raja S C Mullick Road, B T Road, Red Road, Mayo Road and NSC Bose Road.

Recently, when a chunk of Council House Street caved in, there was confusion about who had jurisdiction over the stretch. Many said the spot was under PWD's jurisdiction. It was later found that only a 200-m stretch of Council House Street from AG Bengal to Akashvani Bhavan belonged to PWD.

The other two such stretches, according to the list submitted by KMC, are the ones from Hastings to Babughat (Strand Road) and from the approach to Vidyasagar Setu to the junction of J L Nehru Road (AJC Bose Road). Besides, there are several roads like Kidderpore Road, Hastings Road, Esplanade Row, R G Kar Road, James Long Sarani, Dorina Crossing and Lock Gate Road that fall under PWD's jurisdiction, states the KMC's list.

Though most PWD engineers wanted to keep the roads under their jurisdiction, some officials in the department said it could be more feasible to hand over the small stretches to KMC to avoid confusion.

"This way, not only can we avoid the task of proper coordination with KMC, but these stretches could be better maintained by KMC as well," a senior official said.

The Times of India  24.08.2010

MUMBAI: The BMC has decided to change its tendering system for road and pothole repairs. Currently, the lowest bidder is favoured in the tendering process irrespective of quality. But this is set to change. "We have to decided to frame a new policy that will consider the second lowest or even the third lowest if quality standards are being met with," said a senior civic official.

This year, quotations for tenders to repair potholes have touched 55% below the specified rates- the lowest ever reported. This, despite the BMC taking additional security deposit for rates quoted 12% below the standard mark. For every 1% below the 12% mark, an additional deposit is made. On Monday, after a meeting held with Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) members, the BMC chalked out an action plan to tackle the pothole menace.

The BMC will prepare a system of 'preventive maintenance'. A check will be conducted on the design of the road and material used. STAC panel members will soon recommend the best ways to carry out 'ducting' on roads. "They will submit a report on how big the duct should be and the work to be carried out," said civic chief Swadheen Kshatriya. Suggestions will be made on the use of paver blocks. Committee members have suggested that engineers from the road department should not be transferred as they have a better understanding of techniques.