Back in December of 2021, Bangalore South MP Tejaswi Surya inspected the worksite of Ejipura Flyover, he was displeased by the major delay of the work and asked city officials to change the contractors if necessary.
“Over the last three years, the BBMP has been able to complete only 45% of the work. Now, officials have a revised deadline: January 2023. How will they finish the remaining 55% in just 13 months,” he asked.
“In cities like Kashi (Varanasi), Nagpur, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai, there are examples of big infrastructure projects being completed in relatively less time. If the BBMP is unable to complete just a 2.5-km-long flyover in three years, it reflects its inefficiency,” he said.
In a recent development on the issue, The state government has terminated the contract that was given to Simplex Infrastructures Limited, a Kolkata-based construction firm.
The government has notified BBMP regarding the call for a new tender for the completion of this project and to freeze the builder’s bank accounts.
The Kolkata-based firm undertook the project on 4th May of 2017 and was supposed to deliver the completed four lane flyover from Ejipura to Kendriya Sadan junction by 4th November of 2019. The BBMP was supposed to terminate the contract two years ago when the firm missed couple of notices regarding the slow pace of work, without any progress, but was given an extended duration upon the request of the contractor.
By the end of the original deadline the firm was only able to complete 47% of the civil works, and even with an extended deadline it could only get 3.58% more work done, that is 191 pre-cast segments, but the project needs 762 segments to complete the project.
This project was announced at an estimated expense of Rs.204 crores, until September 2021, the construction firm has received Rs.75.11 crores from the BBMP, and the BBMP states that they would not be paying any more considering the work so far.
The High Court has ordered BBMP to file an FIR against Simplex Infrastructures Limited, the bench said, “We prima facie find that it is because of the fourth respondent (the company) that the delay has been caused in completion of the project and the construction of flyover could not be completed. The public money has been involved in the project and the people at large have been put to inconvenience due to the delay. We, therefore, direct the second respondent (BBMP) to lodge (an) FIR against the fourth respondent for the misappropriation of funds and take necessary steps against the fourth respondent for the misappropriation of funds and take necessary steps against the fourth respondent by cancelling the contract,” the bench said.
“The second respondent shall thereafter take appropriate steps for completion of the project by its own means or by engaging any other agency. The project shall be completed expeditiously in a time-bound manner,” the bench directed the BBMP.
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