HUBLI: If works were taken up according to schedule, some of the roads in the city would have sported a new look by now.

Slow pace of work has affected beautification work undertaken by advertising agencies with great enthusiasm.

The works seem to be in the initial stages although it is more than a month since they were started. Work on Lamington Road seems to be progressing, but that on the median on the road opposite Old Bus Stand seems to have halted.

Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation mooted the plan to develop medians and construct three foot over bridges on a private-public partnership basis two months ago. And some advertising agencies jumped at the offer.

It was decided that the agencies will take up construction of foot overbridges and medians and maintain them for a stipulated period, when they will be allowed to earn revenue through selling space for advertisements.

Maintenance

Foot overbridges are to be maintained by the concerned agency for 15 years and medians for six years. And depending upon the maintenance, the Standing Committee will extend maintenance period for another six years.

The corporation feels that the agencies have lost their initial enthusiasm and failed to complete the works in time. It has expressed its displeasure over the "negligence" shown by the advertising agencies. One of the agencies has been told that if it fails to complete work by February 25, the agreement will be cancelled.

The corporation has also expressed displeasure over the "slow" pace of work by Public Works Department (PWD). It has paid Rs. 20 lakhs to the PWD towards the additional expenditure needed for asphalting old national highway stretches around KC Circle. But even after more than a month, the work has not been completed.

A decision to communicate the concern over slow progress of work to the PWD officials was taken on Thursday at a meeting of the heads of departments in the Corporation.

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