NHAI-MJP accused of taking development works for granted!

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The District Development Coordination and Steering (Disha) Committee meeting was held at the District Collector's office on Friday. MP Sandipan Bhumare and OBC Welfare Minister Atul Save raised questions aggressively and claimed that the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) were treating the Paithan to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar road and the city water supply scheme project for granted.

Meeting on December 30

Due to the absence of responsible officials from NHAI and MJP at the meeting, it was decided to hold a joint review meeting for both projects on December 30. Criticism was raised during the meeting that both agencies had created a situation where neither the road nor the water supply would be available in the future. The Paithan road is still incomplete, and there have been technical issues with the water pipeline work. A humorous remark was also made during the meeting, asking whether the four-lane road would be kept as a single lane and where the water pipelines were, leaving drivers to figure out how to navigate the road.

Technical issues in road and water work spark controversy

After the newspaper highlighted the technical issues within a 20-km stretch of the Paithan to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar road and water pipeline projects, NHAI and MJP found themselves under scrutiny. The issue made waves at the Disha Committee meeting, where its repercussions were strongly felt. The controversy surrounding these projects, involving delays and technical glitches, was a key point of discussion during the meeting.

Questions Raised by MP Sandipan Bhumare and Minister Atul Save

MP Sandipan Bhumare's Questions:

Bhumare: Was there any correspondence done regarding the laying of the water pipeline?

MJP: The correspondence was done with NHAI.

Bhumare: How did the work progress wrongly despite the correspondence?

MJP: No response.

Bhumare: Where is the project manager of NHAI?

NHAI: He is on leave.

Minister Atul Save's Questions:

Save: Should truck and car drivers drive their vehicles while watching out for the water pipeline?

NHAI: No response.

Save: In the future, will the road be dug up for repairs or the water pipeline?

MJP: No response.

Save: Did both agencies obtain an NOC from each other?

NHAI, MJP: No response.

Allegations of technical issues in both projects

Municipal Commissioner G Sreekanth has accused both MJP and NHAI of creating technical issues in the Paithan Road and water supply scheme projects. He said that MJP had not checked before laying the water pipeline, and after the pipeline was laid, NHAI also failed to inspect the work, leading to serious consequences. He pointed out that NHAI seems to be at fault. After 32 km of work, out of 38 km, the mistakes are now becoming apparent. He also questioned whether the officials had been inactive all this time.

MJP-NHAI’s junior officials in the meeting

MJP and NHAI sent junior officials to the Disha Committee meeting. None of the officials were able to provide any information regarding the technical issues in the water pipeline and road projects. Questions were raised about whether a joint survey had been conducted for the road and the main water pipeline work, how much work had been completed on the jackwell, and whether the water supply would be operational by March. Besides, inquiries were made about when NHAI would release the new tender for the work done on the Paithan road. However, the junior officials were unable to provide satisfactory answers to these questions.