After construction company Larsen and Toubro (L&T), the Public Works Department (PWD) issued a show cause notice to two of its former officers for “lack of supervision”, “monitoring” and “failing” to notice the “glaring infirmities” in the Pragati Maidan Integrated Corridor redevelopment project and take suitable action against the contractors.
On Saturday, the PWD issued a notice to L&T for “design flaws”, “serious technical and design deficiencies” and a “potential threat to the life of passengers” utilising the Pragati Maidan tunnel and underpasses daily. It also asked L&T —which executed the project — to deposit Rs 500 crore.
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The two officers — Pradeep Kumar Parmar, who was under the scanner of the Delhi Vigilance department in the matter of renovation of the Chief Minister’s residence, and Iqbal Singh — were then posted in the Flyover wing as Chief Engineer (Flyover) and Executive Engineer, ITPO Project division, PWD.
“… these serious and persisting issues are clear and undeniable evidence of the structural as well as design faults in the project and its constructions… Furthermore, complaints raised in the public domain by daily users… prima facie establish that this is a case of major neglect/ oversight by the contractor as well as PWD officers in respect of the quality of construction material utilised and the design, that has been adopted…,” said the PWD.
“You have failed to notice the glaring infirmities and take suitable action against the contractors during the execution of the project and the resultant public safety hazard which (is) tantamount to negligence and dereliction of duties…,” the notice to the officers’ further states.
While Parmar is currently posted in Assam, Singh is posted in the National CPWD Academy, Ghaziabad, UP.
Iqbal Singh said, “This is a maintenance and care matter… I was transferred two years ago… proper inspection following due formalities were taken and permission was given after that for inauguration… The tunnel and the corridor were fine, but there might be some drainage issues, water might have entered the expansion joint or some drainage must have broken… I have not received any notice yet, I will respond once after going through it.” Parmar did not respond to calls and texts.
The notice mentions that “glaring infirmities” were seen in the project “within weeks of its inauguration”. “The most glaring as well as alarming issue was the accumulation of water across various locations in the underpasses…,” the notice states.
PWD also said the issue, especially during the monsoon, rendered the entire project “non-operational” for the public and ultimately ended up causing far more blockages and congestion along the arterial road of the entire New Delhi area which defeated the very purpose of this ambitious project.
The officers have been asked to reply in 15 days why disciplinary action should not be initiated against them.