Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Anybody travelling towards Upper Assam will notice an incomplete stretch of the four-lane National Highway 37 (Old), including a flyover, near Kaliabor Tiniali. This stretch has been in an incomplete stage for a long time now. As per the original scheduled date of completion, the stretch should have been completed by April 2020. After this inordinate delay, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) has now decided to engage a new contractor to complete the balance work.
The construction work on this incomplete stretch of the National Highway (NH) was originally awarded to Simplex Infrastructures Ltd on January 16, 2017. The project was named '4-laning of Rangagara to Kaliabor Tiniali of NH 37 (Old) on EPC basis'. The stretch in Nagaon district comprises a total length of 18.315 km, and the project cost was Rs 462.88 crore. After the awarding of the work, the NHIDCL issued the appointment date to the firm on October 23, 2017. As per the appointment date, the project was scheduled to be completed by April 2020.
However, the construction work commenced at a snail's pace. Despite several reminders from the NHIDCL, the pace of work did not pick up. Until April 2025, the physical progress achieved in the project is 87.62%. Finally, the NHIDCL was convinced that Simplex simply cannot complete the work, even 5 years after the scheduled date of completion.
Now, NHIDCL has invited tenders for construction of the balance work of four-laning of this stretch of NH 37 from Rangagara to Kaliabor Tiniali, at the 'risk and cost' of the EPC contractor. The cost of constructing the balance work is estimated at Rs 44.88 crore, and the target for completion is set at six months from the appointment date of the new construction firm.
In the context of a construction contract, 'risk and cost' generally refers to the situation where the contractor's performance falls short of contractual obligations, and the owner or other party has to take on the responsibility of completing the work or correcting defects at the contractor's expense. It essentially means the contractor is financially penalised for failing to meet their contractual requirements. In this case, the original EPC contractor Simplex Infrastructures Ltd has to bear the cost of the balance work.
Also Read: Assam: NHIDCL to Execute High Speed Shillong-Silchar Corridor Work
Also Watch: