The state-owned Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has sent a preliminary notice, to Mhaiskar Infrastructure Private Limited (MIPL), a subsidiary of IRB Infrastructure Developers Limited that looks after the operation and maintenance of the Expressway and Mumbai-Pune section of NH-4 to take necessary action within 60-days to overcome the shortcomings in maintenance of it; failing which, MSRDC has claimed it would take proper legal action including termination of the contract as per the provisions of the contract.
This was in the backdrop of the accident that took place on the Expressway on June 5 where 17 people died and 43 others were injured when a private bus rammed into two cars and then fell into a deep ditch.
Followed by the accident, an inspection was done by Eknath Shinde, PWD minister and Diwakar Raote, transport minister with MSRDC and state highway police officials followed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis taking meeting on June 7, where he directed to work on the action plan to enhance road safety on the Expressway.
The preliminary notice issued by the MSRDC to the MIPL, stated that in the meeting with Mr Fadnavis, “It was also directed to take action against the operation and maintenance contractor who was responsible for patrolling incident management. On several occasions Expressway and Mumbai-Pune NH-4 section were inspected, during which it was found that maintenance level was not so satisfactory and serious non-conformities and deficiencies in maintenance were noticed.”
A joint inspection by M/s STUP that looks after the engineering of the Expressway with MIPL representative’s was done after which STUP vide their letter dated May 24, 2016 communicated the shortfalls of maintenance to MSRDC.
The notice states, “The shortfalls in maintenance activities of Expressway itself indicate lack of suo motto initiative in attending poor maintenance and negligence on your part. You being the contractor failed to comply the shortfalls of maintenance as observed and communicated to you dated May 24, 2016.”
Radheshyam Mopalwar, vice chairman and managing director of MSRDC had also taken a traverse of the Expressway on June 15, 2016 where he observed and recorded that MIPL has done nothing to improve the condition on the roads.
The notice sent to MIPL also highlights that because the contractor (MIPL) failed to operate and maintain the project as per specification, it is resulting in unsafe travel on the Expressway.
An email sent to the spokesperson of the MIPL, remained unanswered.
However, Virendra Mhaiskar, executive director, MIPL said, “I am neither denying nor confirming that MIPL has received any notice from the MSRDC, however, if MSRDC must have issued any notice to us, our representative must have replied to the same and you can further check it.”
