NMC puts on hold work orders of RPS Infra

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has put on hold Mumbai-based RPS Infra Projects Private Limited’s work orders to make two cement roads under the Rs324 crore cement concrete road project-II. This came after TOI reported that the private company was involved in road works scam exposed in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Meanwhile, NMC has started work on ground level for three of the 18 packages under the project.
NMC standing committee, in the meeting held on May 13, approved work orders of two cement roads under the project to RPS Infra. TOI raised the issue of RPS Infra’s involvement in BMC road works scam in the press conference held after standing committee meeting. On May 14, TOI highlighted that BMC banned any more contracts to RPS Infra and five other companies for inferior quality of road works and also registered an FIR at Azad Maidan police station, Mumbai. The process to blacklist RPS Infra and other five companies is also going on.
Following the TOI reports, standing committee chairman Sudhir Raut had directed NMC officials to inquire into the issue. Executive engineer KL Sonkusre told TOI the inquiry was underway against RPS Infra. “NMC wrote letters to BMC seeking details about the case related to RPS Infra. We received information from BMC a couple of days ago. BMC informed us about an FIR registered against RPS Infra and also about show cause notice issued to the company for blacklisting. We also wrote a letter to state’s public works department (PWD) seeking information about registration status of RPS Infra. The PWD reply is awaited,” he said.
Chief engineer Ulhas Debadwar said an appropriate final decision will be taken after receiving a reply from the PWD.
On May 13, the standing committee had approved work orders of Package-V worth Rs10.23 crore and VII of Rs14.74 crore to RPS Infra. Before that, NMC had issued work orders of package VI and VIII worth Rs27.91 crore to RPS infra.
RPS Infra had also bagged a Rs240 crore cement concrete road widening project of Inner Ring Road from the state PWD last year. Shockingly, the contract was obtained with a tender bid 21.50% below the estimated price.
Meanwhile, the NMC appointed private companies have started works on three packages under the project. Of 18 packages, NMC had issued work orders of six packages — III, IV, VI, VIII, XI and XX.
On Tuesday, work of package IV — Law College Square to Japanese Garden Square and Shankar Nagar Square to Laxmi Bhuvan Square — started. The work started between Law College Square and MLA Hostel Square by blocking both sides of West High Court (WHC) Road. The WHC Road will become totally cement concrete from Japanese Garden Square to Ring Road at Khamla Square after completion of the package.
Works on two more packages — Gurudeo Nagar Square to Bhande Plot Square to Chota Tajbagh T-point and Gurudeo Nagar to Ishwar Nagar square in South Nagpur, and CMPDI to Bhim Square to Patankar Square, Pachpaoli police station to NIT North Division office, Mahatma Phule School at Santra Market road to Ashok square in North Nagpur — also started. Work on remaining three packages — III, VI and VIII has not started despite bhoomipuja being done three months ago. Two of the three packages were awarded to RPS Infra.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced the project 16 months ago. However, NMC delayed execution of the project. Work orders of 12 packages are yet to be issued. Fadnavis had also approved similar Rs300-crore cement concrete road project-III a month ago.