Roads scam: Beware! Suspension sword hangs on 11 tainted contractors

Contractors responsible for messing up Mumbai's roads now face suspension of their registration and will be barred from bidding on any new work in the civic body. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued show-cause notices yesterday to 11 contractors in connection with the road repairs scam. They have been asked to give their reply in the next 15 days.

Recently, the inquiry team submitted its report before municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta. After finding serious malpractices and substandard work, Mehta ordered that notices be issued against 11 contractors.

The indicted
According to civic officials, with the notices issued, the tainted contractors won't be allowed to participate in any civic work. They will be given a hearing to present their side; once the entire procedure is completed, the civic body will issue a final notice of barring (blacklisting) them.

The BMC had awarded contract of worth R2,000 crore to 16 contractors (14 individual firms and two joint ventures formed by a few contractors from the 14). Relcon Infraprojects Ltd, Mahavir Roads and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, RK Madhani and Company, RPS Infraprojects Pvt Ltd, J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd, KR Construction, Supreme Infrastructure India Ltd, Prakash Engineers and Infraprojects Pvt Ltd, New India Roadways, Priti Construction, and Vitrag Construction have been indicted.

BMC speak
A senior official road department said, "We have sent notices to 11 contractors. Soon, FIRs will be filed against them. A decision on action on the engineers involved in the scam too will be taken soon."

Chief engineer (roads and traffic) Sanjay Darade confirmed the development but refused to give any details. The number of engineers that could face action is still not clear. Sources, however, said anything between 12 and 30 engineers could face departmental inquiry for their alleged involvement in the scam.