HYDERABAD: The Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) has finally announced that the much delayed road restoration works will be taken up from Monday onwards after concluding an `informal' agreement with recalcitrant contractors.

The issue was successfully resolved at a meeting conducted by Mayor T. Krishna Reddy and Commissioner Sanjay Jaju with engineering staff in the presence of standing committee members on Thursday.

Though not officially stated, the new arrangement means the corporation would provide `logistic backup' services to contractors to reduce their financial burden.

More than 1,000-odd works like cement and bitumen roads were held up for the last few months with contractors demanding `compensation' for the steep rise in cement and other prices.

The matter generated much heat at Wednesday's standing committee meeting with members pinning the blame for the contractors' logjam on Chief Engineer (CE) R. Dhan Singh and passing a resolution for his repatriation.

Officials have refused to hike the amount till the Government issues revised standard scheduled rates (SSR). It was also made clear that new rates would be applicable only for unsigned tender works and not for the 149 works for which contracts were already signed.

But now it appears the corporation had baulked from taking any action and had instead succumbed to pressure from contractors. The Mayor, however, reasoned that the matter could not be put off indefinitely as people were being inconvenienced with bad roads.

Officials blasted

Talking to presspersons, he lambasted officials for lack of "proper coordination" among themselves and held the commissioner responsible for the delay. He also lamented the undue delay in clearing of bills by the quality control cell.

Additional Commissioner (Works) K. Harshavardhan said no extra powers were given to engineers and insisted that the signed contracts be honoured failing which the contractors would have to forfeit their deposits.

Rest of the 350 tendered works and 796 works on unit rates would be given once the fresh SSR is issued early next month. He claimed that 41 works had already commenced following the `truce'.

Clarification sought

Meanwhile, the MCH has sought a clarification from the Government if its standing committee can decide on the contractor once the tender is finalised. This was reportedly the panel's bone of contention with the CE with the latter insisting that only the official tender committee can select the contractor.

There was also a demand for doing away with unit rates' system and quality control cell by the standing committee member, official sources said.

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