The Hindu

Mangalore, Apr 24: The ongoing work to build the four-lane highway between Surathkal and Nanthur will be completed by June this year, if a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed recently is adhered to.

The MoU was signed on April 1 this year between IRCON International Ltd., which has taken the contract to build the road and New Mangalore Port Road Company Ltd. (NMPRCL) through which the project is being implemented. The MoU allows imposition of penalty and even termination of the contract under certain circumstances.

The MoU assumes significance in view of the delay in the execution of the work by the contractor. It also makes it obligatory for IRCON to complete stretches amounting to 9.5 km between Nanthur and B.C. Road on National Hightway 48 by December this year.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which owns the road, and the New Mangalore Port Trust have formed a special body — NMPRCL to implement the project. Responding to media reports, , based on a meeting by Dakshina Kannada Rashtriya Heddari Ulisi Horata Samithi here recently, P.N. Gawasane, Project Director, NHAI, Mangalore office, told The Hindu that it was not correct to say that the NHAI was not monitoring the progress of the works properly.

He said that the NHAI was aware that the progress was slow. The then Secretary of Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in a meeting on April 5, 2007 had reviewed the progress of various NHAI projects in the country. The meeting decided that the contractor should be given only three months time to improve the rate of progress and if it failed to do so the contract should be terminated.

But following assurances from the Managing Director (MD) of IRCON that the company would speed up the work the contract was not terminated. In another meeting on February 7, this year the MD gave the assurance that the Surathkal-Nanthur stretch would be completed by June this year. Meanwhile, the NHAI has cut Rs. 19.50 lakh from the amount payable to IRCON for not adhering to the contract agreement. It was deducted from the monthly bills payable to the agency between December, 2006 and December, 2007.

The NHAI took this step since the agency had failed to adopt proper traffic safety arrangements, minimise dust and had failed to provide helmets to labourers, according to Mr. Gawasane.

The NHAI swung into action after writing several letters to the contractor to adhere to contract conditions, he said.

Mr. Gawasane wanted to know on what basis the samiti could allege that the works were being carried out in an unscientific manner.