Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Quality Control Cell wound up

VIJAYAWADA: The Quality Control Cell (QCC) set up in the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) nearly a year ago with the objective of ensuring quality in the engineering works taken up by the Corporation was wound up all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago.

The officials are tight-lipped over the reasons. The executive engineer (EE) in-charge of the QCC has been asked to head a newly created unit called ‘Progress Monitoring Cell (PMC)’.

The officials of the VMC felt the need for QCC in view of the increase in number of engineering works, thanks to a large number of projects taken up under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). But, the VMC did not provide the required staff and equipment. The QCC requires a minimum of two deputy executive engineers (DyEEs) and two assistant engineers (AEs) apart from half a dozen other staff for laboratory and field work.

The QCC functioned without any staff till it was wound up, and this was “second time” the Corporation’s efforts in the direction of ensuring quality in its works have failed.

It was nearly six years ago that the VMC procured some equipment for conducting quality control tests, but dumped the same in a godown without ever using it. Once again recently the VMC dirt-freed the godown and started the QCC and procured some machines for conducting metal strength, BT extractor and cement tests. In addition, some chemicals were also purchased.

When the QCC started functioning, some senior officials felt that there was no need for it as a ‘third party quality check’ has already been made mandatory under JNNURM programme. The ‘Third Party QA team’ from the V.R. Siddhartha Engineering College appointed by the Corporation was already doing the job, and, hence, the proposed QCC would be nothing but “duplication of work”, they felt.

In a similar manner, the PMC too is attracting disapproval of senior officials now. They point out that the Corporation is hiring the services of Proses Technology Inc. by paying high consultation fee for a similar work.

The Proses is stated be preparing the progress reports at regular intervals, and submitting the same to the Municipal Commissioner directly.

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

Stories in this Section

Ayurvedic camp at Keraliya hospital
H1N1: an ounce of prevention better than a pound of cure
Lorry owners object to speed governors
‘Inspire and Empower’ rally
Little Krishna, gopikas spin magic
Quality Control Cell wound up
House burgled at Kondapalli
Celebration time for VMC
Tight academic regime drive students to suicide
Counselling for MBBS/BDS
Vijayawada today

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu