Nagpur: There is no end to controversies in the Rs300 crore Ring Road Cement Concrete Project of the state Public Works Department (PWD). Now, hundreds of tonnes of tar and metal removed from the Ring Road, which was to be reused to lay roads in unauthorized layouts, has disappeared.
Tainted contractor, Mumbai-based RPS Infraproject Private Limited, is claiming the tar and metal excavated from Ring Road was utilized for construction of roads in Nagpur Improvement Trust's (NIT) unauthorized layouts. However, NIT has denied receiving any tar or metal from either the PWD or RPS Infra.
Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari had directed PWD to hand over the tar and metal excavated from Ring Road during cement concrete project to NIT for laying new roads in unauthorized layouts. Accordingly, PWD directed RPS Infra to supply the milled material at the locations suggested by NIT.
RPS Infra started Ring Road concretization works in September 2015. Of total 45km length, RPS Infra has completed works on one side of around 30km as on date.
Activist Suraj Lolge recently sought information under RTI Act about the quantity of tar and metal supplied by PWD to NIT. The latter's hot mix department and South division replied that no material was received from PWD or the Ring Road project.
However, in reply to another request for information by Lolge, the PWD said RPS Infra claimed to have supplied 6,143 cubic meter milled material for construction of roads in eight unauthorized layouts. PWD also said a bill of Rs52 lakh has been raised with NIT for supply of this material.
In a letter dated June 2, the NIT East division office informed PWD that milled material was dumped only on one road in Bharat Nagar of mouza Bharatwada, between October 7 and 9, 2016. "NIT asked PWD to supply milled material in unauthorized layouts of Bharatwada. There was no response from PWD after dumping milled material on one road. Now, PWD has sent a letter claiming to have dumped milled material in other layouts, which NIT did not demand. NIT was not even informed about any such work. Still, a joint inspection can be done," NIT officials said.
NIT sent two more letters to PWD, asking its engineers for joint inspection. However, the PWD has not sent any reply to NIT or undertaken a joint inspection, as per documents obtained under RTI Act.
Lolge told TOI, NIT sent several letters to PWD asking it to supply milled materials. "RPS Infra excavated tonnes of tar and metal from Ring Road in these two years. Where did all the material go if NIT has not received any," he questioned.
Lolge has asked PWD chief engineer Ulhas Debadwar to conduct an inquiry and take action against responsible persons. "It is also a loss of revenue and minerals. PWD engineers are not taking any action despite serious violations by RPS Infra in the project. Also, the quality of works is very shoddy, as proved by PWD itself," he said.
PWD engineers told TOI discussions are going on with NIT to sort out the issue. NIT officials said there was nothing more to discuss other than the information provided to Lolge under the RTI Act.
Tainted contractor, Mumbai-based RPS Infraproject Private Limited, is claiming the tar and metal excavated from Ring Road was utilized for construction of roads in Nagpur Improvement Trust's (NIT) unauthorized layouts. However, NIT has denied receiving any tar or metal from either the PWD or RPS Infra.
Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari had directed PWD to hand over the tar and metal excavated from Ring Road during cement concrete project to NIT for laying new roads in unauthorized layouts. Accordingly, PWD directed RPS Infra to supply the milled material at the locations suggested by NIT.
RPS Infra started Ring Road concretization works in September 2015. Of total 45km length, RPS Infra has completed works on one side of around 30km as on date.
Activist Suraj Lolge recently sought information under RTI Act about the quantity of tar and metal supplied by PWD to NIT. The latter's hot mix department and South division replied that no material was received from PWD or the Ring Road project.
However, in reply to another request for information by Lolge, the PWD said RPS Infra claimed to have supplied 6,143 cubic meter milled material for construction of roads in eight unauthorized layouts. PWD also said a bill of Rs52 lakh has been raised with NIT for supply of this material.
In a letter dated June 2, the NIT East division office informed PWD that milled material was dumped only on one road in Bharat Nagar of mouza Bharatwada, between October 7 and 9, 2016. "NIT asked PWD to supply milled material in unauthorized layouts of Bharatwada. There was no response from PWD after dumping milled material on one road. Now, PWD has sent a letter claiming to have dumped milled material in other layouts, which NIT did not demand. NIT was not even informed about any such work. Still, a joint inspection can be done," NIT officials said.
NIT sent two more letters to PWD, asking its engineers for joint inspection. However, the PWD has not sent any reply to NIT or undertaken a joint inspection, as per documents obtained under RTI Act.
Lolge told TOI, NIT sent several letters to PWD asking it to supply milled materials. "RPS Infra excavated tonnes of tar and metal from Ring Road in these two years. Where did all the material go if NIT has not received any," he questioned.
Lolge has asked PWD chief engineer Ulhas Debadwar to conduct an inquiry and take action against responsible persons. "It is also a loss of revenue and minerals. PWD engineers are not taking any action despite serious violations by RPS Infra in the project. Also, the quality of works is very shoddy, as proved by PWD itself," he said.
PWD engineers told TOI discussions are going on with NIT to sort out the issue. NIT officials said there was nothing more to discuss other than the information provided to Lolge under the RTI Act.
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