Nagpur: In a no-nonsense move, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has come down heavily on three negligent contractors by imposing a hefty penalty of Rs 1 crore for delivering shoddy road restoration work under the Central Government-funded AMRUT 2.0 scheme.
The penalised firms — M/s Laxmi Civil Engineering Services Limited, M/s Kalthia Engineering and Construction Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., and M/s P Das Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. — were found blatantly violating tender conditions by failing to restore roads to their original condition after laying trunk sewage pipelines.
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15 july 2025
Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr. Abhijeet Chaudhari, taking strong exception to the habitual corner-cutting by contractors, initiated the penalty after repeated warnings and on-ground evidence of gross non-compliance. Officials from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) had earlier issued multiple reminders to these contractors, urging them to follow norms and ensure proper levelling and tarring of roads post excavation. The pleas fell on deaf ears.
The trio of companies is responsible for laying a massive 537 km of trunk lines in North and South Sewerage Zones, of which 125 km has been completed. However, instead of tarring the roads after filling the dug-up stretches — as mandated in the contract — the firms merely used rollers to compress the surface, rendering the roads unsafe and unusable.
An inspection carried out in February revealed the extent of neglect. Despite multiple warnings, no corrective action was taken. In a final meeting on May 27, Commissioner Chaudhari gave a last stern warning. With zero improvement from the contractors, the civic body invoked its authority to levy a staggering fine of Rs 1 crore.
This decisive action sends a loud and clear message: Contractors compromising on public infrastructure will face harsh consequences. NMC has set a precedent that it will no longer tolerate delays, substandard work, or flouting of contract norms in city development projects.
