Mumbai: BMC under CAG scanner over Marwa bridge reconstruction

Work in progress to remove utility lines from Marwa bridge in Andheri East. Pic/Anurag Ahire

The BMC's handling of the reconstruction of Marwa bridge in Andheri East has come under CAG scanner. The Comptroller and Auditor General in its recent inspection report has also pointed at the way the proposal was passed in December last year without inviting tender. The BMC awarded the contract to a contractor, who was working on another bridge, as additional work for a 87-per cent increase in cost. CAG said the process was in violation of the MMC Act, 1888 and sought explanation from the civic body.

Marwa bridge was declared dilapidated by the bridges department and has been shut since June 2021. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, in a proposal to the standing committee in December 2021, cited urgency during pandemic as the bridge connects Saki Vihar Road to SevenHills Hospital and assigned the work to M/s A R Construction at a cost of Rs 10.42 crore under the commissioner's authority. The contractor was already working on another bridge on Kurla-Kalina Road. mid-day had, on December 29, 2021, reported the matter.

Also Read: Mumbai: Work to concretise 40 per cent of city's roads yet to start

As per the original tender, the BMC had allotted reconstruction work of a bridge on the Kurla-Kalina road to M/s A R construction in October 2018 for a cost of Rs 12.48 crore. The work was supposed to be completed in 19 months, excluding monsoon. The deadline was first extended till May 31, 2021 due to technical difficulties and then till February 15, 2022. When the BMC added Marwa bridge reconstruction to the tender, the deadline for both works was extended to December 2023.

Ashok Matekar, former corporator, said, "We have been writing to the BMC since the last four to five years over the bridge. The BMC issued a work order before monsoon, but the shifting of utilities started in October 2022. There are many high voltage cables of Tata Power and other companies, and they will need to be shifted in order to start the work." mid-day's attempts to Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velrasu did not yield results. A BMC official said, ‘The query was part of the routine inspection and we sent our reply to the CAG."

Points raised by CAG

>> CAG's draft inspection report mentioned that though the condition of the bridge was brought to the notice of the BMC several times since 2008, it failed to take timely action.

>> It also mentioned that awarding the reconstruction work of Marwa bridge without inviting tenders was in violation of Section 72(I) of the MMC Act, 1888 and resulted in undue favour to the contractor.

>> It also pointed at the 87 per cent rise in the original project cost and sought explanation from the BMC. It also asked for status reports of both the bridge works.

>> CAG also pointed at the delay in starting the work as administrative approval for the reconstruction was obtained in 2020, but not much has changed on ground.

Rs 10.42 CR
Cost of Marwa bridge reconstruction