BJP to block water, sewerage project

Speaking to media persons, BJP MLA Girish Bapat took strong objection to former Municipal Commissioner Ramanath Jha’s decision to invite final bids from the five short-listed bidders for the first phase of the project.

“How can tenders for a job which is estimated to cost Rs 750 crore be called without the sanction of the civic general body?”, Bapat questioned. “The BJP is not against the project but it has reservations against the administration which is trying to implement it in haste,” he said.

BJP city unit chief Pradeep Ravat who was present for the press conference said that his party had constituted a committee to ascertain the feasibility of the project. The five-member committee included corporators Suhas Kulkarni, Ujwal Keskar, Ashok Yenpure, Balasaheb Mokate and Jyostna Sardeshpande. The 18-page committee report was released today. A copy of the report along with a memorandum was submitted to the municipal commissioner Rajiv Agarwal later in the evening.

Bapat said that the committee report has revealed several shortcomings in the project draft prepared by the Kirloskar Consultants. Citing an example, he said that there was a need to establish new water purification and distribution centers at Khadakwasla dam and Pashan. Also, the Kirloskar Consultant report does not spell out the measures to check water loss owing to pipeline leakage.

The BJP was of the opinion that the project be carried out on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis, so that the PMC was not required to raise loans and mortgage its property. Bapat felt that the PMC administration should have conducted a technical scrutiny of the report tabled by Kirloskar Consultants.

Pointing out to media persons that the responsibility of providing tap water to the 38 fringe villages included in the municipal limits rests with the Corporation, Bapat said that the PMC was still to prepare the Development Plan (DP) for the fringe villages and mark the reservations for public utilities, open spaces, industrial and residential areas etc.

The administration should at least prepare a rough draft of the DP, earmarking the water zones, before allotting tenders for the 750 crore job, he said.

Media persons pointed out to him that earlier the first phase of the project was estimated to cost Rs 450 crore. Now it has shot up to Rs 750 crore, owing to price escalation. Any further delay would led to an increase in the cost.

Bapat said that his party had not demanded that the project be postponed indefinitely. The PVA has also appointed a committee over the project. Bapat said that BJP was not rigid about the demands made by the committee in its report. A combined report, taking into consideration the recommendations made by all- including those by the Kirloskar consultants and the administration, can be prepared within next four months, he said, adding that he would hold a meeting with PVA leader and MP Suresh Kalmadi in this regards.