VIJAYAWADA: The wait for the already-delayed Kanaka Durga flyover is set to get longer with the contracting agency requesting another extension of time (EoT) till August. The project, which has missed several deadlines, is now expected to be ready by August 15, more than three years since the works for it were launched.
Soma Enterprise Ltd, the agency that was awarded the project in November 2015, had agreed to complete the works in 12 months from the day of the launching of works in December the same year. It, however, has been progressing at a snail’s pace due to a variety of reasons–criticality of the structure, frequent government programmes and festivals near the construction site.
Durga flyover contract firm completed only 17% work in last one year, says it is hit by fund crunch
G John Moshae, Deputy Engineer-in-Chief of Roads and Buildings and the in charge of the project, told TNIE: “The contractor was given a provisional EOT till March this year. However, officials from the ministry, after their recent visit, felt that the flyover’s completion needed more time.
As such, the contractor submitted a request for another EOT till May 14 to the MoRTH. However, in a meeting with the ministry officials on April 12, the contractor sought time till mid-August to complete the entire work.” The major reason for this delay is said to be the financial crunch the contracting firm is facing. In the last 12 months, the agency has been able to complete only 17 per cent of the physical works, taking the total progress to 82 per cent.
“The firm has stopped several projects midway in Tamil Nadu and other states. There is some progress in the project thanks to the persistence of the project in-charge,” another official explained, and noted that the remaining works for it could be completed in two months if the financial ability of the firm improved.
It maybe recalled that TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu had promised, before the 2014 elections, to operationalise the flyover within 12 months. He had staged a dharna in 2012 asking the then government to send engineers to him if they can’t finish the work in a year’s time. Ironically, the TDP government, even after 40 months of launching the works, is unable to complete the work.