Corporator Discretionary Fund: No Tender So Far; Sewage, Road Repair Work Suffer

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has not floated any tenders to take up any project under corporators’ discretionary fund. The corporators are peeved as they are unable to initiate any development work in their wards. There are 85 wards in Bhopal and the scene is more or less the same everywhere. Works like repairing of roads, damaged drains, sewage system are being done through corporator discretionary fund. The corporators claimed that they had to face people’s wrath during Durga puja festival over deplorable civic amenities.

Corporators are blaming BMC administration for delay in clearance of tenders as contractors’ pending payments have not been cleared so far. The BMC administration has attributed the delay to administrative formalities like clearance from technical and financial committee and other such issues. 

Corporator Guddu Chauhan said, “No tender has been cleared so far by BMC. Only call and recall of tenders are happening. If tenders are cleared, work order has not been issued so no work from our fund can be initiated. We have to face public ire in our wards.” BMC Leader of Opposition  Shabista Zaki said, “in fact, payment of contractors has not been cleared or part-payment has been made. Under such circumstances, how will they show interest in BMC work and so they are not approaching for BMC tenders.”

Mayor-in-Council (MiC) RK Baghel said, “ In the review meeting, we will look into why tenders are not speedily disposed of. However, the mayor has already instructed for speedy disposal of tenders specially those which are related to the corporators discretionary fund. The Mayor has also sanctioned Rs 3 lakh for water, civil work, and sewage in each ward. On the basis of quotation, files will be cleared.” 

BMC superintendent engineer Subodh Jain said, “ We have to maintain the administrative process before clearing the tenders. There are two committees—technical and financial. It takes time otherwise, we try our level best for clearing the tenders under the corporators discretionary  fund.”