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| Construction of Bidhar Bridge in Anantnag: NHIDCL rebuts Contractor’s claim | | | Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 12: The National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has out rightly refuted the claims of contractor and said that the firm failed to carry out technical tests of the existing abutment of Bidhar Bridge in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
In a statement to Early Times, NHIDCL said that the Construction of bidhar bridge at Km 228+800 (NH-244) was awarded to M/s Khanday Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd with the appointment date on 16.02.2021.
They said that the project was initially under RO Jammu and was transferred to RO Srinagar on 10.06.21
NHIDCL said that the contractor was directed through various correspondences to submit the design and drawings which in turn was inordinately delayed by M/s Khanday Infrastructure Pvt Ltd.
“EPC Contractor in return has been adamant to retain the Sub-Structure of the Bridge which was built in 2014 and had faced the outrage of Kashmir floods in 2014. NHIDCL has listed various tests and informed the EPC Contractor accordingly to conduct all NDT Tests so that decision regarding dismantling/retaining of Sub-structure can be given but EPC Contractor failed to carry out the requisite tests as desired by the Authority and also failed to mobilize any man-power or machinery at site leading to significant delays in the completion of project,” press statement reads.
NHIDCL said that it served a notice to the contractor to explain the causes for the significant delay of the project. “The explanation of the contractor could not satisfy the competent authority and it could be inferred that EPC contractor was totally at fault to carry out the given work within the stipulated timeline,” it adds.
The corporation said that keeping in view the public in-convenience and the in-ability of the contractor to execute the scope as per the provisions of contract agreement, a competent authority has placed the EPC Contractor in negative list for a period of 2 years or till the completion of the subject project whichever is earlier.
However, the NHIDCL said that the EPC contractor has now agreed to carry out the execution of the project as per the original scope since no technical tests were carried out for retaining the existing abutment.
“The fault of the Contractor is evident and the casting of blame on NHIDCL having not given a timely decision is incorrect as the Contractor has to carry out technical tests of the existing abutment without which no authority can clear the strength capacity of an existing structure,” statement further said. |
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