HYDERABAD: MCH Commissioner Sanjay Jaju was a furious man on Saturday. During his inspection of storm water drain repair work in Karwan constituency, he was shocked that the Executive Engineer concerned was not present despite prior intimation.

Mr. Jaju ordered for immediate suspension of the official and also expressed his unhappiness over the state of sanitary conditions in the constituency, especially in areas of Tolichowki, Hakeempetkunta and nearby colonies.

The health and sanitation wing was asked to start door-to-door collection of garbage and take up extensive people's contact campaign to make them join the scheme. The Town Planning wing was asked to remove encroachments at Salar Bridge for taking up community hall construction. These halls form a significant portion of more than Rs.100-crore worth of works, which the MCH has been unable to spend in the last one year. Other works are bitumen roads, sports complexes and parks.

Bitumen road works

The works wing had spent Rs.77 crores of the Rs. 187-crore worth projects cleared, admit senior officers. There was no reason to be alarmed since the works can be carried forward into the new financial year, reason officials.

The 150-odd registered contractors of the corporation are said to be more interested in taking up bitumen road works rather than community halls because of the nature of work, profit margins and "local" corporator pressures!

Different works worth Rs. 38 crores are in various stages of construction and tender process for remaining works was on. While sports complexes' construction was going on, the BT road works too began few days ago, point out officials.

All bitumen roads are to be carpeted by month-end. Delay over this work for a good part of last year is being attributed to the late issuance of Government Order on the standard scheduled rates (SSR). The MCH has to spend another Rs. 200 crores during the forthcoming financial year, but considering the past record, it is a big task.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail