School repairs shoddy: Panel
Recommends Blacklisting Of Contractors Who Carried Out Work …….Sharad Vyas
Mumbai: Seven years after it was appointed by the high court, the Dhanuka committee’s recommendations are yet to leave a mark on the nondescript municipal school buildings in the city. A BMC panel, appointed to monitor repair and renovation work, has found that many of the 34 ongoing works (at the cost of Rs 93.1 crore) at the dilapidated institutions face a threat in view of the impending monsoon.
At several places, contractors—under little supervision from private consultants—have carried out shoddy work. At other places like the Sanjay Nagar Municipal School in Govandi, the contractor fled after demolishing the building two years ago. “There is a possibility that this land will soon be encroached upon,’’ the BMC panel report states.
The panel has now recommended that 23 contractors and 10 private consultants be blacklisted for worsening the condition of the already derelict buildings, barren playgrounds and drab classrooms of municipal schools.
Under the Dhanuka guidelines, the BMC has so far carried out repair and maintenance of 158 buildings across the city. A budget provision of Rs 188.74 crore was made in this year’s budget for civil repairs of 87 more buildings. All this to give a facelift to municipal schools.
“We found that work was substandard at every location we inspected. How can the BMC allow public money to go down the drain in such a manner?’’ said Ravindra Waikar, chairman of the BMC standing committee, which was anxious to see the quality of work before sanctioning money for more work.
The committee awarded seven new contracts on Monday knowing the fact that the same contractors and consultant, who are now under scanner, were part of the new bidding process.
“While we know that past works have not been up to the mark, we cannot put on hold must-needed work for the future,’’ said Dr Ram Barot, chairman of the BMC education committee.
The committee found that cracks in the wall were not filled up in many buildings, recently replastered walls were already lined with termite trails and cement crumbling in many buildings.
Of the 687 BMC school buildings, only 456 are currently in use.