PWD slaps ₹10 lakh penalty on contractor
The Newz Radar
CHAMBA: The construction of a Rs 1.10 crore bridge in Panoga over the Siul river to give road access to three panchayats of Chamba and Dalhousie Assembly constituencies commenced in 2020, but it is yet to be completed even after the passage of three years.
In response to this delay, the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) has slapped a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on the contractor. A notice has also been issued to the contractor, instructing him to complete the bridge construction by March.
The bridge will link several villages, including Chandyal, Pudan, Dharveran, Sua, Ranjani, Trinagra, Naujal, Thanauti, Radhola, Nolsu, Panoga, Bari and Khani, falling under the jurisdiction of Sanuh, Kihar, Dand and Kilod gram panchayats in Saluni sub-division.
The foundation stone for the project was laid in 2020 by the then Dalhousie MLA Asha Kumari, which made the residents of these villages hopeful that they would soon get access to road. About 5,000 villagers of these panchayats were to benefit from it.
Three years down the line, their hopes have remained unfulfilled. The leaders of the panchayats concerned have met the department authorities several times and expressed their displeasure regarding the slow construction work, but to no avail. “The panchayats have complained over the slow progress of work. Our department has taken the matter seriously and imposed a Rs 10 lakh fine on the contractor,” said an official.
Saloni Kumud Upadhyay, Executive Engineer of the PWD Division, said that in addition to the fine, the contractor had been notified that failure to complete the project by March 2024 would result in the cancellation of the contract.
