Kuldip Bhatia Ludhiana January 31 Remaining true to their nature officials of the building and roads branch of the Municipal Corporation (MC) are continuing with granting favours to the defaulting contractors who more often than not get away with poor workmanship or use of sub-standard or poor quality of material for road projects. Even after drawing flak from various quarters issuing of show-cause notices and charge sheets the MC officials (of B & R branch) it seems have not learnt any lesson. In yet another example of their steadfast loyalty to certain contractors rather than the MC for which they work the civic body officials have allowed to reconstruct only a part of a road leading to the cremation ground from Daresi Road falling in zone A of the city. During the collection of samples for quality check from various roads in the city this particular stretch was found to be constructed in violation of specifications laid down in the work order. According to test report the contractor had laid 3 to 4 inches of cement layer against the stipulated 6 inches. However the officials had approved the work and the final bill was also prepared say highly placed sources in the MC. However senior officials intervened in the matter amidst uproar by area residents and a few councillors about the poor quality of material and workmanship in the construction and recarpeting of roads and the payment to contractor was stopped with instructions to the officials concerned to get the road reconstructed strictly as per the specifications laid down in the work order. But in a “devil may care” attitude the officials of the B and R wing of the MC are understood to have accepted the plea by the contractor who undertook to scrap 2 inches of the top layer of cement and relay it and also partly reconstruct the road. When asked about this levity and undue favour being shown to the erring contractors an MC official said for the time being the contractor had been asked to reconstruct the road from where samples of material were taken. “The final payment for the work would be released only after quality check of the entire road with regard to material and workmanship” the official added. No lessons learnt Even after drawing flak from various quarters issuing of show-cause notices and charge sheets the civic body officials (of B & R branch) it seems have not learnt any lesson.

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