PWD panel to probe works executed by Kitco

Thiruvananthapuram: As promised by public works department minister G Sudhakaran in the assembly, the PWD has constituted a three-member committee to conduct a probe into all works executed by Kitco during the past 18 years.
The three-member panel consists of PWD chief engineer (roads), chief engineer (administration) and deputy chief engineer (vigilance). The committee has to submit a preliminary report within a week. The committee will probe all works undertaken by Kitco between 2001 and 2019.
Incidentally, Kitco is one of the 17 accredited agencies such as Vadakara-based Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS) and Kerala state construction corporation selected by the previous UDF government to execute works.
However, sources said that Kitco lacked expertise to execute major infrastructure works.
Meanwhile, the contractor RDS Projects Ltd, which executed the work of Palarivattom flyover, the design of which was approved by Kitco, under EPC contract (engineering, procurement and construction), said that there was no wilful negligence from their side.
Referring to the design by Nagesh, alumnus of IIT-Madras, the company representative said, “The bridge was designed adopting the deck continuity joint system, a new innovative concept. Within three months after the bridge was opened for traffic in October 2016, it was observed that the above theory did not function as envisaged, presumably due to additional stresses developed in the support zone of girders. Hairline cracks on the girders and piers started developing. This was immediately brought to the notice of RBDCK/Kitco and we had requested permission to rectify it at our expense.”
He added that they were doing all rectification works suggested by the IIT-Madras team by spending around Rs 2 crore.
Kerala government contractor association is planning to approach government with plans to execute the project in a professional way.
“In the EPC contract, the contractor should submit design for the projects. In such cases, priority should not be on the lowest quoted bidder, but on the better design. The viability of EPC contracts are questionable in our state,” said association president Varghese Kannampally.
He said that taking action against contractor, who is taking up rectification work during defect liability period, was unacceptable.