The flyover was scheduled to be completed by July 2026
The Naroda Patiya flyover — which will be the longest flyover at 2.5km — too is facing delays and while AMC has set terms on penalising the contractor, the amount it has calculated seems more like a rap on the knuckles than strict action. Ahmedabad: The civic body has earned itself a dubious distinction of not having completed flyover or railway bridge projects on time.
A source in the municipal corporation said that according to rules for contracts awarded for flyovers or railway overbridges, a fine ranging from 0.05% to 0.1% of the total project cost can be levied for each day of delay. “The Naroda Patiya flyover has been delayed by a year, which warrants that AMC penalise the contractor between Rs 16.5 crore and Rs 33 crore. But AMC has settled for a mere Rs 50 lakh penalty, sparking controversy,” the official, not wanting to be named, said. Sources said the Naroda Patiya flyover was to be completed by July 2026. “The delay was discussed at a standing committee meeting in June, and a Rs 50 lakh penalty was imposed on the contractor for the delay. The new deadline has now been set for June 2027,” an official said. “How was the Rs 50 lakh penalty calculated? The contract’s terms specify that penalty of 0.05% to 0.1% of the total project cost must be recovered for each single day of delay. For example, the Naroda Patiya flyover project cost is Rs 220 crore. Calculating at 0.05% per day, the penalty comes to Rs 11 lakh per day. At 0.1%, the fine amounts to Rs 22 lakh a day. Thus, even for just 150 days of delay, the penalty at 0.05% would be Rs 16.50 crore, and at 0.1%, it would be Rs 33 crore. How was only Rs 50 lakh determined remains a major question. A 185-day delay has been attributed to the contractor. Is there any condition in the tender based on which these 185 days were calculated? If liquidated damages (LD) penalties and milestone default penalties were to be deducted according to tender conditions, under which specific clause was the lump-sum penalty of Rs 50 lakh decided?
The project cites a 556-day delay due to Good for Construction (GFC) drawings and roads and buildings approvals. A 555-day delay has been shown due to design-related issues. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Ahmedabad | Silver Rate in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Petrol Price in Ahmedabad | Diesel Price in Ahmedabad | CNG Price in Ahmedabad | LPG Price in Ahmedabad Stay updated with the latest Ahmedabad news.
Imposing a fine lower than what is stipulated is nothing but corruption. BOX Jainik Vakil, chairman of AMC’s roads and buildings committee, has written to the deputy municipal commissioner seeking clarifications on: Why was the work order issued before full site clearance and final drawings were submitted when AMC policy states that no work order shall be issued to a contractor until complete site clearance, an obstacle-free workfront, utility mapping and clear drawings are available? Has a written certification from the roads and buildings design circle been obtained for this? Has an explanation been sought from the design consultant on this? If the consultant caused the delay, what penalty was stipulated when appointing the design consultant? If a time extension was granted to the contractor for reasons other than AMC’s fault, was prior approval from the standing committee required before granting the extension? Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes , Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India. Download the TOI App.