Mamata calls for stern action against errant contractors for delaying projects

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has directed the state administration to take stern measures against errant contractors, who are causing inordinate delay to complete projects.

The failure to meet deadlines is leading to enhancement of project cost and is leaving a dent in the state's coffer, she said, while addressing the administrative review meeting in Bankura.

The Chief Minister reacted sharply when she was informed about the delay in completing the projects to ensure supply of safe drinking water to households in Bankura, despite the work of setting up water treatment plant being complete.

It may be mentioned that her government has sanctioned a whopping amount of Rs 2,000 crore to ensure supply of safe drinking water to the drought-prone Bankura district.

She raised the question: "Why are pipeline connections to households yet to be laid?" and when told that a problem in the tendering process is causing the delay, Banerjee added: "If needed the tender should be floated centrally. But, it has to be ensured that the work gets done within the next seven days."

In the same breath, she expressed her annoyance over the incident in which a water reservoir had collapsed at Sarenga in Bankura district within three years of its construction.

She inquired about the contractor who constructed the same and said that necessary steps should be taken in this connection. "Why should the government unnecessarily get defamed for a section of officials of the Public Health Engineering department?" Banerjee questioned.

The Chief Minister asked state Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to use the anti-corruption branch to nab "those involved in corruption in Land and Land Reforms and Public Health Engineering departments".

While inquiring about the request of the students of Bankura University to construct an auditorium or community hall for their round-the-year programmes, she came to know that the state Public Works Department (PWD) has proposed to set it up at a cost of Rs 955 crore.

Hearing this, the Chief Minister said: "Forget PWD. On an occasion, I found them estimating Rs 6 crore for a project that should come up at just Rs 2 crore. Does it take so much money to construct an auditorium? Two to three storey community centres in Kolkata have come up at Rs 1.5 crore. Reject the project (Bankura Municipality's auditorium). District Magistrate will look into it. It would cost Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 crore at most."

She also directed to complete the work of the hawkers' rehabilitation progra-

mme at Bishnupur as early as possible.

While speaking about the law and order situation in the state, the Chief Minister said: "Recently a car fitted with beacon light was caught in which narcotics and firearms were being smuggled. A political party is spreading hatred among people through such activities. To put an end to this, naka-checking is taking place at different locations."