‘Loopholes’: KMC to directly monitor KEIIP project works

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will now directly monitor the work executed by Kolkata Environmental Improvement Investment Programme (KEIIP) at various stages in the wake of several complaints relating to projects executed by the agency.

“Presently, KMC does not interfere with the work of KEIIP. However, it came to our notice that agencies under KEIIP have been lackadaisical in execution of work on more than one occasion. In some places, it was found that the drainage infrastructure was reversed due to lacunae in work. Hence, in the new agreement we will ensure we will monitor their work in different stages right from the engagement of the consultant till the end of work,” said mayor Firhad Hakim.

KMC will form a monitoring committee under the Municipal Commissioner which will intervene on encountering loopholes. The committee will have DG of KEIIP, DG Engineering and DG Town Planning.

During the KMC monthly meeting on Saturday, Left councillor of Ward 103, Nandita Roy questioned the Mayor if steps were taken against the consultant for delay in execution of works under KEIIP. She also sought an answer regarding punishment meted out to the concerned agency under KEIIP in connection with the incident of asphyxiation death of four sanitation workers in Kudghat in February 2021.

The Mayor said that the concerned agency was blacklisted following a report by the enquiry committee that found negligence on their part. “This agency will not be able to participate any tender of the KMC in the next five years,” he added

Hakim informed Roy that the family members of the four workers were offered compensation by KMC.

KEIIP is presently associated with drainage work in various parts of the city including the added areas namely Tollygunge, Haridebpur, Behala, Kudghat, Jadavpur etc.