We happened to be in right place at right time. On 30th March, 2011, we wanted to take a look at the progress of works on the KRS Road from Dasappa Circle up till Vanivilas Water Works. We found Mr.Harsha Gupta, the Deuputy Commissioner and Mr.Raikar,the Municipal Commissioner having a meeting with many other officials nearing the entrance to Medical College Ladies Hostel. There was Sri.Cheluve Gowda, the Executive Engineer, PWD, Sri.D.B.Verma DRM, Railways, Sri.Ravichandran, Executive Engineer, Railways, and Sri.Nataraj, AEW, Vanivilas Water Works, Sr,Subbe Gowda, Executive Engineer, JNNURM; Sri.Venkatesh, who is the contractor for laying water pipeline and UGD works, and Sri. K.V. Chenniah the Railways and PWD contractor who has completed the railways bridge work and is also the contractor for the road work under PWD contract. This was practically all the representatives of every agency involved in the KRS Road Works.
We were witness to the deliberations between the Deputy Commissioner and the representatives present there. The meeting ended with mutual assurances and convincing that in the next 40 days the road works will be completed. The Deputy Commissioner was relieved to learn that the road will be open to public before the onset of the rains.
Since september 2010 we have met practically everyone involved in this project. The facts available with us indicate that the road will not be ready that soon. To our RTI query [20.9.2010] as to why this work, which was to have been completed by Dassara 2010 is not completed so far, the answer given [20.12.2010] by the PWD Executive Engineer was: there was a delay in getting permission to the trees cut. Apart from this, the MCC has not completed the shifting of water pipe line work. After the shifting of water pipe lines the PWD will complete their part of the work within 9 months. And these 9 months were exclusive of rainy season! That means the advent of rainy seasons would further delay PWD work beyond their requirement of 9 months.
It is March 2011 and the railways have completed their railway bridge work and have made their railway lines operational on this new bridge. Within our knowledge the railways have overshot their time-limit by two months and that too due to compulsions of design modifications. This was to facilitate laying of water pipe line and UGD lines on the bridge bed. But the road construction work is languishing. Ironically, the contractor for the railway bridge as also the road construction is one and the same, ie. Sri.K.V.Chenniah!
The road work was taken up under tripartite Contributory Deposit Scheme wherein the State Government, the Railways and the Mysore City Municipal Corporation [MCC] were to contribute funds. From the very beginning there has been lack of coordination between all the agencies involved in this project. MUDA commissioner was made the Coordinating Officer in the initial stages. But for whatever reason no meetings took place. So much so the Railways stopped contacting other agencies and simply concentrated on their part of the bridge work. State government should have released the funds to the CDS which it has not. And the MCC has its own financial crunch and hence could not pay the contractor assigned with the work of shifting water and UGD pipelines.
The contractor who was to complete the shifting of pipelines could not/did not complete his work [even as on 30th March 2011 the work is not completed] because he is not paid for the work already carried out. And the MCC could not pay because the State Govt did not release the funds. And the PWD could not start the road work since the pipeline shifting work has not been completed [see above the RTI reply by the PWD].
And we are to understand that the total amount to be paid to the contractor towards the pipeline shifting is less than Rs.2 Cr.!! This is a proverbial case of for want of a nail the kingdom is lost. As per the rough estimate made by us the cost of detour to be taken by all the vehicles plying should have cost the society about Rs.2.5 Cr and this will keep on piling up till this crucial road link is completed.
We could see that the PWD has taken up the work of constructing the retaining walls, the drainage and cable conduits. But the pace of work is not commensurate with the importance of this road particularly in the light of delays. Interestingly we saw that two wheelers have started using this road as the railway bridge work is complete. Such unchecked traffic will only cause further obstructions in the construction work, apart from damaging the quality of work.
What has surprised us was that it is nearing one year since this road was shut down and only two meetings have been held by the DC. We asked the DC if had any confidence in the deadline of 40 days being kept. He responded that he had only two meetings. Promise made during the first meeting to open the road for traffic during dussera 2010 was kept and he has confidence that they would keep the promises this time also. We did not see any blue print/plan in the hands of any of the officers present there in this meeting. We felt that assurances/responses given to the DC were rather vague. There has been total casual approach in addressing the problems confronting the completion of this crucial road linking two important parts of the city.
We were also told that since the whole project is extremely complex, any delays in completion can be justified. When Delhi metro can be completed meeting the deadline, can K R S Road project be any more complex?
Further, what has been the role of peoples representatives, the MLA, the MP, the Corporators? And above all the Minister in Charge of this District? Why is that people at large are keeping quiet and suffering silently the agony of detours, extra costs? Who should be held accountable for this mess?
We were witness to MCC commissioner giving assurance the contractor in charge of pipeline shifting that some more money will be released to him and asking him to complete his work expeditiously. And we are to understand that many such assurances and requests have lapsed but the every time it is back to square one no release of funds and no progress in the pipeline shifting and no possibility to take up the road laying work!!
Therefore our understanding is that this road will not be ready in the next 40 days, unless people concerned take up the responsibility and made accountable.
Prof. R. Chandra Prakash & Dr. Bhamy V. Shenoy