Activists allege graft in road evacuation tender

Pune: The controversial riverside road parallel to Sinhagad Road has come under the scanner once again. It has now been revealed that the corporation had given a contract to a contractor to remove debris from riverside road with width of 30 metre when actually the width of the road is 24 metre. The Supreme Court had ordered the removal of all debris from the riverside road.
 
Social activists have alleged that the PMC’s Road Department showed increased width of the road while giving the tender to the contractor and paid extra money. On the other hand, the administration has denied all the allegations. In November 2010, the road from Vitthalwadi to NH-4 bypass was being constructed as per the Development Plan (DP) approved by the Government of Maharashtra vide its resolution dated May 15, 2008. The purpose was to ease the traffic congestion on Sinhagad Road.

The road from Vitthalwadi to NH-4 bypass was being constructed with width of 24 metre and beyond the river protection belt, as per sanction in the DP. This was clear from the record that the project in question related to the 2.3 kilometre long 24 metre wide road from Vitthalwadi to NH-4 bypass, which was just a local connecting road.

However, civic activists took objection saying that it was harming the environment and creating obstacles to the natural flow of Mutha river. They had filed a case against the corporation in National Green Tribunal (NGT) and Supreme Court. Both bodies had issued an order to stop work and remove all debris and evacuate the constructed road in 2013.

Corporation had floated a tender of Rs 3.37 crore to evacuate the constructed road. However, they mentioned the width of the Vitthalwadi road as 30 metre. Actually, the constructed width was 24 metre. The work was completed in the month of January in 2018.

Civic activists have now raised objections to the tender. Sarang Yadwadkar, who was a petitioner in the case against the Corporation in Vitthalwadi road, said, “Why and under whose instructions, the width of the 24 metre wide road was increased to 30 metre in the tender and then 36.68 metre to 54.295 metre while billing in the measurement sheet? Who all are responsible for the huge loss to public exchequer? Who all are the beneficiaries of this multi-crore inappropriation? Why has PMC been protecting the officer responsible for this wastage of public money? 

Vivek Velankar, another civic activist, demanded that action be taken against the responsible officer, who floated the tender and assigned work to the contractor. Meanwhile, Annirudha Pawaskar, Additional Chief Superintendent of the Road Department, PMC, denied the allegations and said, “There was debris lying along the 24 metre constructed Vitthalwadi road. During this exercise, we cleared the debris lying in riverbed. We did our work as per NGT and Supreme Court order.”