Plagued by missed deadlines, fresh tenders to be floated for Faridkot sewerage project

Work remained suspended for more than 13 months with the change of government in the state due to ‘payment issues’, it was restarted in January 2018. The contractors, however, have missed the third extended deadline of June 30

Faridkot The state government will float fresh tenders for laying interlocking tiles and connecting houses to sewer lines under the Faridkot sewerage pipeline project as the private firm that was allotted the project has missed multiple deadlines.

The project was announced in 2014 by the previous SAD-BJP government. Its ground-breaking ceremony, however, was performed by then deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in June 2016. The Rs 284 crore project (Rs 210 crore cost of the project and Rs 74 crore for 10 years’ maintenance), which included laying a sewerage system and sewage treatment plant for the cluster of Faridkot, Jaitu and Kotkapura, was scheduled to be completed in 18 months.

It was jointly allotted to Mumbai-based construction companies, Shapoorji Pallonji Company Pvt Ltd and Khilari Infrastructure Pvt Ltd.

Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, political adviser to the CM, said that even after laying the foundation stone three times, funds were not released for the pipeline project. “In 2017, after putting a lot of efforts, the Congress government got Rs 125 crore approved from Housing and Urban Development Corporation for the project. The company has failed to complete the project on time. In the meantime, 250 notices were sent to the company and Rs 10 crore penalty was imposed for various reasons. The government has taken back the works laying of interlocking tiles and connecting houses to sewer lines from the private company. We will soon float fresh tenders for these works,” he added.

Work on the project remained suspended for more than 13 months with the change of government in the state due to ‘payment issues’, it was restarted in January 2018. However, the contractors have missed the third extended deadline of June 30 to complete the work. Most roads in the city that were dug up to lay drainage pipes have not been levelled after laying the pipeline. The dug-up roads were covered at many places by just putting sand into them.