The Hindu 24.10.2013
Projects worth Rs. 465 cr. to be taken up in city
That broken footpath or shoulder drain near your house, crying for repair, may finally be fixed. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) Standing Committee for Ward Works on Wednesday approved 2,787 projects to be taken up in 198 wards.
The work is being taken up at a cost of Rs. 465 crore.
The BBMP has reintroduced the single window clearance system that was first introduced in 1996–97. Under this system, the BBMP hopes to accord administrative and technical sanctions to all 2,787 works, float tenders and open tenders at the same time. This way, the BBMP will be able to take up works across the city simultaneously.
Chairperson of the Standing Committee for Ward Works A.H. Basavaraju claimed that the system would also help them thwart civil contractors’ “blackmailing tactics”. Earlier, contractors would pay the earnest money deposit (EMD) for a project and delay the work. “With the single window system, they will be forced to only apply for the works they can execute on time as they will have to pay EMD at the same time,” he said.
Timeline
Mayor B.S. Sathyanarayana said the administrative and technical sanctions would be granted after October 30. The tender notifications will then have to be published on November 6. The last date to apply for tenders is December 2 and tenders will be opened on December 4. The work orders for all projects will be accorded on December 11, while work will begin after December 15 across the city.
New wards get more
Mr. Basavaraju pointed out that new wards have been allotted Rs. 3 crore, while old ones have got Rs. 2 crore. He urged councillors to set aside at least Rs. 20 lakh of this for renovation and repair of BBMP schools and colleges in their wards.
Road asphalting
Earlier, Mr. Sathyanarayana said that asphalting of major roads would be taken up at a cost of Rs. 560 crore. However, work would begin only in January 2014. The BBMP would seek financial support from the government to take up asphalting of interior roads, he added.
