More than 100 public works fail to take off

Official apathy, delay in funds and contractors blamed

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has failed to begin more than 100 developmental works pertaining to nalas, road widening and storm water drains even though the tender process was completed a year ago and administrative sanctions have been obtained.

Corporators have pointed out this fact during council meetings. They claim that since a year now the civic body has neither cancelled the tenders nor initiated any action against the contractors who have won the contracts but not completed the work in the stipulated time.

Civic officials say they will now pursue the status of the works and learn the reason for the delays before initiating action against the contractors, something they should have done a long time ago.

The corporators, including from the ruling party, have alleged in council meetings that officials and contractors have been deliberately delaying work at the ground level. They claim that even though tenders were finalised for nala widening and road laying, the work has not been executed due to the apathy of the civic officials. Corporators say they have been facing the heat from the public due to the delays as citizens are severely inconvenienced. They said that delay in release of funds is the prime reason. Also, the corporation has been according more than five works to the same contractor, which cannot be executed simultaneously.

Corporators claim that since a year now, the civic body has neither cancelled the tenders nor initiated any action against the contractors who have not completed works in stipulated time.

Prime reason is attributed to delay in release of funds.

At least 25 works in each division have been either pending or are yet to begin.