Contractor fined for poor quality work bags Rs 99 cr BDA project: RTI activist

BENGALURU: A contractor, who was accused of carrying out sub-standard road work during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bengaluru, has surprisingly bagged another Rs 99 crore contract from the Bangalore Development Authority(BDA), RTI activist Sudarshan has alleged.

It is said that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had fined the contractor Rs 3 lakh for the poor quality of road work during the PM’s visit to Bengaluru. Now, Sudarshan says he will file a complaint with the Lokayukta this week regarding the award of the contract.

The RTI activist said, “When the Prime Minister visited Bangaluru in June, there was a big debate about the poor quality of road in Kommagatta. The BBMP has also imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on three contractors who carried out the work. Now, one of those contractors has got a bumper gift of Rs 99 crore by BDA to develop Visvesvaraya Layout, improve parks and construct footpaths”.

RTI activist Sudarshan questioned how the contractor who was fined for poor road work by the BBMP was awarded a new project.

“Public tax money should not wasted. I have sought details through RTI, but I have not received replies as of now. I have collected photos of poor construction work. If an inspection is done, everything will be revealed. A contractor who has executed poor quality work should be blacklisted, but instead, work has been awarded to the same contractor”, he alleged.

Sudarshan claimed, “Poor quality work in being executed in this layout too. They are simply renovating whatever existed. The officials and contractors are trying to cover up a fraud. There seems to be a big conspiracy behind this”.