Big jolt to AMRIT scheme:
Ujjain : The first phase of highly ambitious AMRIT scheme which entails laying of 433 km long underground pipelines to streamline city’s sewerage at a cost of Rs 402 crores is most unlikely to be kick started as per schedule.
The main reason for this is the non-agreement of prominent peoples’ representatives, who have stressed on implementation of comprehensive project rather than its phase-wise execution.
A fear lurks in the minds of peoples’ representatives about their prospects in Assembly election-2018, Lok Sabha election-2019 and Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) election-2020. They feel that if the project is launched now and entire city roads would have to be dug to lay pipe lines then it would surely invite anger and criticism of the people.
On Saturday afternoon, a meeting of local peoples’ representatives was convened at the Simhastha Fair Authority on the behest of state government. Engineer-in-chief of the urban administration and development department was sent specially to coordinate.
Energy minister Paras Jain, who represents Ujjain North Assembly constituency, Member of Parliament (MP) Chintamani Malviya, Ujjain South MLA Mohan Yadav, mayor Meena Jonwal, UMC chairman Sonu Gehlot, Ujjain Development Authority chairman Jagdish Agrawal, Simhastha Fair Authority chairman Diwakar Natu and municipal commissioner Vijay Kumar J were present in the meeting. Though, representatives of Tata company, whose bid was finalised for the execution of the project, were also summoned for the meeting, they were not given entry.
Sources disclosed to Free Press that the organisers were quite aware of the outcome of the meeting and that’s why they tried their level best to maintain secrecy throughout the meeting and later too.
Those who attended were informed about the project in detail, but Malviya remained adamant on phase-wise implementation. Jain and Yadav also reportedly supported the MP on the grounds that non-implementation of comprehensive project may create problems to the people as all 54 wards and entire city roads would have to be dug and the time frame of two years may also invite criticism of the people at large.
Mayor and chairman were quite interested in implementing the project immediately saying that any lapse in the first phase can be corrected in the second phase.
Four branded companies of the country had participated in the bid for the project and implementation of first phase of project was finalised in favour of Tata company. 433 km underground pipe lines were to be laid, besides construction of tanks and other structures. 80,305 houses were to be connected with these pipe lines. Ujjain’s selection under the AMRIT scheme was made in view of ensuring non-mixing of sewer in the Kshipra river. The comprehensive project is worth about Rs 666 crore. The bidder was to operate and maintain the project for 10 years after completion of the first phase. The bidder (Tata company) was to start execution of the project in October 2017 and was to complete it in October 2019.
Though, the authorities concerned had finalised different bidders for similar projects in other cities of the state, it was expected that the bidder for Ujjain will be given work order on October 7. But, after this meeting, it is almost certain that the work order will not be released and UMC may have to invite one more tender.
Jain said that they would try their level best to implement the comprehensive project even if it takes an additional year or two. Malviya said that they would reconsider the project and only then give their consent. Jonwal said that UMC was eager to execute the project as it was designed after consultations and the city can have better sewerage system on time. She said that the government would have to take a decision now to execute the project or to cancel the tender, but surely it would not be executed as per schedule, she added.
