TOI
Contractor Dismissed Amid Ongoing Delays
A contractor has been terminated for failing to accelerate project timelines despite multiple warnings. This delay has prompted complaints to Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways.
“The project has a two-year work period and the responsibility for maintenance and repair of the road will be for 10 years. As a result, a new tender has now been floated for the 65-km stretch from Kagal to Peth Naka,” the official said. Due to this, the already stalled Kagal-Peth Naka six-laning project for the last one year is likely to be delayed again,” Patil said.
An NHAI official said the previous contractor had repeatedly failed to improve the pace of work despite instructions from the authority. Kagal-Peth Naka is a very important milestone in terms of traffic, industrial and commercial communication on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway,” the official said. Satish Patil, member of the Kolhapur District Lorry Operators’ Association, said the fresh tender process would inevitably push back work on a project that has already remained stalled for nearly a year.
“Notices were issued to the contractor. Even after that, as the situation did not improve as expected, it was finally decided to cancel the contract. “With the cancellation of the previous contract and the start of a new tender process, it will again take more time for the actual work to start.