A plan made, a plan dashed

Narendra Jadhav, vice-chancellor of UoP, had previously said that EIL had a good track record and extensive experience in the construction business. Presiding over UoP8217;s senate meeting on Tuesday, he, however, did a complete volte face and said that the company8217;s performance was disappointing, that it was not meeting targets on time and that the progress of the project was poor.

8220;The company had assured us thet they will give a detailed plan and estimate by June 2008. But it delayed the work and gave the plan on November 4. The UoP had estimated that the work would cost Rs 40 crore, but the company8217;s estimate is Rs 85 crore,8221; said Jadhav. 8220;Moreover, the plan is very poor and there are many mistakes in the estimate,8221; he said.

Jadhav said the UoP was thinking of cancelling EIL8217;s two-year contract. 8220;The University will try to do this work on its own as the EIL is not doing satisfactory work,8221; he said. Jadhav also pointed out that the EIL had been initially dissatisfied with UoP8217;s estimate of Rs 40 crore. 8220;The EIL had said that it did not take contracts that were below Rs 50 crore. Somehow, we managed to convince them. The UoP had no choice either as it was binding on it to give the contract to a public sector company.8221;

The university had made a Rs 128 crore allocation in this year8217;s budget for the makeover plan, which includes construction of new buildings as well as renovation or extension of the existing structures and landscaping. The revised budget, however, has suggested a Rs19-crore reduction of the construction cost of new buildings. Extension and landscaping will also be delayed, as the UoP was apparently unaware that the development plan had to be presented before the Pune Municipal Corporation prior to starting work.

Jadhav said that in the last 60 years, the UoP had never gone to the PMC for approval of any development plan. 8220;But to develop this land, we need the PMC8217;s permission. We have now made a concrete development plan and will submit it to the PMC this week,8221; he said. While answering a query on the triple connectivity project raised by senate member Balasaheb Agarkar, Jadhav said that ten locations in the university campus would be connected on an experimental basis by December 2008. The new deadline is June 2009. 8220;We will connect 135 colleges in a phased manner by June 2009,8221; said Jadhav.

Delay after delay
June 2008: Deadline for the detailed plan for construction of new building
November 2008: Actual submission
November 2007: Triple Connectivity Project to be made workable
December 2008: Extended deadline
January 1, 2009: Initial deadline for V-C to shift office in main building
February 10, 2009: New deadline

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