BMC panel ends row over pipeline project

MUMBAI, OCT 22: The stand-off between Additional Municipal Commissioner AMC Subodh Kumar and members of the Standing Committee came to ...

MUMBAI, OCT 22: The stand-off between Additional Municipal Commissioner AMC Subodh Kumar and members of the Standing Committee came to an end on Friday following a meeting called by the Municipal Commissioner K Nalinakshan.

The members of the committee who last week had demanded that they do not want Kumar to attend the meeting today gave in after Kumar agreed to attend the standing committee meetings. He had walked out during the meeting in a huff after Niyaz Vanu alleged that junior officers and the AMCs in turn were misleading the Municipal Commissioner on a proposal related to project to lay water pipeline.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting Nalinakshan said, 8220;There was some misunderstanding and both Kumar and the corporators said that they did not mean to hurt the other party.8221; The corporators told the commissioner that the allegations made against the officers were not aimed personally at Kumar. Both the corporators and Kumar agreed that the decorum of the meetings should be maintained andwork together in the interest of the corporation, the commissioner informed.

Meanwhile, the commissioner has withdrawn the proposal to a three-km long water pipeline between Pise and Panjrapur in Thane district. 8220;I will study the proposal and then send the proposal to the committee with my remarks,8221; said Nalinakshan. However, it may take another week since the commissioner is going abroad to attend a seminar.

The row between Kumar and the corporators was sparked following tabling of the proposal on the pipeline project. The administration had suggested that the second lowest bidder should be awarded the contract as the lowest had not met the technical requirements specified by the corporation. Surinder Engineering had quoted Rs 13.89 crore for the work. However, the corporators demanded that the third lowest K Rajesh should be given the contract who had quoted Rs 2.14 crore more.

The corporators had opposed awarding the contract to Surinder Engineering citing a letter from the Maharashtra JeevanPradhikaran Konkan region stating that the BMC should think twice before awarding the contract to this firm. However, Kumar did not find any fault with Surinder Engineering.