The Hindu : Front Page : Stiff penalty recommended

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Friday, Sep 28, 2007
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Stiff penalty recommended

Special Correspondent

Gammon India among those held responsible for flyover crash

HYDERABAD: The five-member committee that inquired into the Punjagutta road flyover accident held “lack of engineering judgment” about the soil strength by four agencies, including the contractor Gammon India, responsible for the disaster on September 9 when two persons were killed and seven others injured.

The other agencies named by the committee of experts headed by K. Siva Reddy, engineer-in-chief, Roads & Buildings, were Tanikella Integrated Consultants and Tandon Consultants, both consultant engineers of Gammon India, and Hyderabad Metro Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).

The 157-page inquiry report was submitted by Mr. Siva Reddy to Municipal Administration Minister Koneru Ranga Rao here on Thursday.

The report also held the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) “morally responsible” for the incident by not ensuring proper filling and compaction of the trench dug by the HMWSSB for laying a 800-mm pipeline from Vengala Rao Park to the Punjagutta Junction.

Recommending imposition of a stiff penalty on Gammon India, the committee suggested that the company should pay 10 per cent of the project cost of Rs 28.9 crore, apart from bearing the cost for the loss of properties, private and public (cars, autorickshaws and compensation for deaths and injuries).

It also recommended that Tanikella and Tandon pay 10 per cent of the total agreement amount as penalty.

In the case of HMWSSB and the GHMC, it recommended disciplinary action against the officials connected with the execution of the project.

Already suspended

Recalling that three engineers had already been suspended, the Minister said disciplinary action would be taken against other officials of GHMC and HMWSSB if the inquiry committee found them guilty.

Answering a question, the Minister said the criminal case registered by the police would, however, continue. The panel approved the site for resumption of the flyover construction work and opening of the adjacent roads for traffic, but suggested strict quality checks. Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration, S. P. Singh and members of the committee — Prof. N. Rajagopalan, formerly with IIT, Chennai, Major-General C. T. Chari, former director-general, National Academy of Construction, Prof. N. V. Ramana Rao, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and Prof R. Ramesh Reddy of OU were present.

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