Tender specifications need modifications

Tender specifications need modifications

Vijay Times

WHILE the High Court appointed panel has lambasted the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) for the poor quality of road repair works, the first citizen of the City - M umtaz Begum seems to be reluctant to discuss the issue.

Mumtaz, who had said that she would work 24 hours a day for the City’s development during her maiden press conference after being elected as the City’s Mayor on N o v 28, seems to be more intent on attending functions.

Mediapersons, on W ednesday , had to wait for a long time to meet the Mayor to seek her reaction on the report filed by a expert committee constituted by the Court.

When reporters tried to see her in her chamber , they were asked to come later as she was having lunch. After a while, the s try at the door said she would call them in.

H oping to be invited in, the journos waited. After a few minutes, M umtaz, along with her supporters, came out and walked past the reporters in a hurry .

When reporters stopped her to seek her reaction on the report submitted by the expert committee, M umtaz said : "I am going for a function. I just no w received call. I have to rush." She then left the place in a hurry . Following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by former Basavanagudi MLA B N Subbareddy , the High Court had formed a three-member committee to submit five bi-monthly report for a period of one year on the condition of roads in the BCC jurisdiction.

The BCC commissioner K Jothiramalingam speaking to BVT said,: W e have not received a copy of it. I’m yet to receive a copy and will adhere to the directions of the Court.


A day after a High Court panel rapped the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) on road repair works in the City , the civic body is considering making it mandatory for the contractors taking up road works to possess the required machinery and not to sub-contract the work.

Speaking to BVT , a senior BCC official said, "From this season, we will insert a clause in the terms and conditions of tenders pertaining to road works that the respective contractor should possess the required machinery for the work to be carried out and if the the work is found sub-leased the tender will be cancelled." "This apart, whenever the contractor goes in for a sub-contract, the cost to BCC goes up. In the last two years, there has been an increase in the diesel price six times and the price of asphalt mix too has gone up enormously . All these factors have to be kept in mind," he said, and added, " First of all not all packages are issued under a a single tender ." "In order to deliver quality work be it laying roads or filling potholes, we need to have a holistic approach and transform the system. The findings by the High Court appointed panel is well known to the civic body . However , our convictions will be more strengthened by the directions of the High Court," he added.

When BCC commissioner K Jothiramalingam was contacted for his comments on the report, he said, I have not received a copy of the report. Whatever is the suggestion or directions of the High Court, we will abide by them."

Swati Ramanathan, co-founder, Janaagraha The policy on tendering process has to be revamped As per the present tendering process, the l project would bag the order. With a view t contractors quote lowest amount and ultimatel promising with the standard of work.

The delay in the payment process by the BC force the contractors to take up sub standa should release the funds in time. After the comple ect, the quality of work needs to be monitored by mittee. It’s high time that the BCC takes the earliest.

A retired BCC engineer The findings of the committee reflects a to administration machinery has collapsed. We cannot tractors alone for poor quality work. We cannot ex to execute small projects. Invariably the small co equipped with state-of-the-art machinery to delive addition, the contractor will also fail to take up project after completion. A Ravindra, former chief secretary By and large, the quality of road works in City is BCC should look into the qualifications of the con prescribed tender specifications. The procedur lowed and the work should satisfy the stipu the contract. It is the question of accountability pressure to hold the civic body accountable for qu Kumar , a resident of Rajajinagar T apping the doors of High Court has become the ma ity works in City . The BCC should be asha High Court should give directions to deliver quali to norms. The recent High Court order to demolish in Koramangala is a classic example. At least now wake up and learn from its mistakes and gain publi

lHighest priority should be provided for drainages It is a well-known fact that drainages were not taken up on priority . It was never a par t of asphalting work. It is a civil work.

lContractors do not have required machinery for quality work This is another problem which the BCC is facing. There are very few contractors who come forward to take up asphalting jobs and road repairs.

Unfor tunately , we have around 15 to 20 contractors for such jobs and half of them do not possess the hot mix plant and other machineries. Hence, they go in for sub-contracting the work.

lProvide adequate guidelines to engineering staff As a professional, any engineer is supposed to know his work and follow rules and guidelines. As a qualified engineer his work is very much spelt out