PWD (B&NH) misses target schedule

Tardy progress of work for underpass between two HC buildings

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 24: The project for construction of a double-tube underpass connecting the Gauhati High Court's new and old buildings sitting astride the MG Road at Panbazar, Guwahati is yet to see the light end of the tunnel.   

An underpass is a road or path that goes under something such as a busy road, allowing vehicles or people to go from one side to the other over it. In the instant project, two tubes are being laid underground so as to connect the two buildings of the Gauhati High Court – one adjacent to Judges' Field and the other on the riverside adjacent to the Ganesh Temple. The tardy progress of work is likely to cause time and cost overruns as is the case in most of such projects in Assam, especially in Guwahati.

The executing agency for the Rs 16.1850-crore project is State PWD (Building and tiol Highway Department) that has outsourced the work to Construction Catalysers Pvt Ltd. The project work that began in December 2016 was supposed to have been completed by December 2017. Three months have already passed by but the project work is still to see the light end of the tunnel. 

When asked, a source in the PWD wants to blame it on utility service installations like electric and telephone posts. "The removal of such posts took at least six months, leading to delay in the start of the work by six months.  Even as the tube-laying work is over, the escalator and lifts are still to be done. We expect to complete the work by September this year," he said.

MG Road, under which the underpass double tubes are being laid, is a very busy road in Guwahati. Not to speak of others, one cannot say as to how many times the State Governor has to pass by this road daily.

Tardy progress in project work is something Dispur cannot get rid of. A question that remains unswered is: even as a source in the State PWD expressed the department's expectation to complete the project by September this year, will it complete?