KOCHI: The contract of the 561-metre Edappally railway overbridge (ROB) with Kayikkara Construction Company of Kollam will be revoked by the end of November, said the officials of the National Highway. All procedures have been initiated for the purpose.
“We have completed the preparation of the report for revoking the contract at the behest of Works Minister Mons Joseph. The permission of the Union Surface Transport Department is necessary for cancelling the agreement. We have also prepared a revision estimate for floating the new tender for the construction work. The National Highway Department had already handed over Rs 11 crore to the contractor out of the Rs 24 crore earmarked for the construction,” the officials said.
“The Kayikkara Construction Company will be fined for violating the agreement and the company will be asked to pay the additional amount needed to complete the work as it had delayed the ROB resulting in increase in the expenditure. If we float a new contract, the work could be completed only in 2010 and an additional 50 percent of the Rs 24 crore will also be needed for the completion of the work” they said.
Kayikkara Construction Company managing partner E A Abdul Salam said that till date he had not received any information from the officials concerned about revoking the contract and the construction work had been progressing.
Though three years had passed since the commencement of the construction, only 42 percent of the work had been completed. However, Salam claimed that he can complete the construction as per the March 31, 2009 deadline set forth by the government.
PULLEPADY RAILWAY OVERBRIDGE
The district administration said that it would take one year for making the Pullepady Railway overbridge to be operational.
Managing director of the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala, the requisition authority of railway overbridges, R Sreelekha said that they have completed the construction work of Pullepday railway overbridge around four years ago.
The Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala can finish the remaining work, including the construction of two spans, only after the railway completes construction of the 25-metre track span over the railway line.
But the Railway has not facilitated any procedure for starting the work.