Odisha PWD set to cancel contract after Bhubaneswar flyover collapse

“The first time an accident happens, the contractor is blacklisted but allowed to complete the project. If the contractor then does not work properly, there is a provision to remove him,” said Nalini Kanta Pradhan, Engineer-in-Chief and Secretary of OPWD.

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A worker was killed in an accident at construction site last week. Express

A contract awarded to Panda Infra Projects (India) Pvt Ltd for the Bomikhal flyover may be dissolved, a top official of Odisha’s Public Works Department said on Monday, after the state government drew criticism for accidents at the project’s construction site. “The first time an accident happens, the contractor is blacklisted but allowed to complete the project. If the contractor then does not work properly, there is a provision to remove him,” said Nalini Kanta Pradhan, Engineer-in-Chief and Secretary of OPWD.

A worker, Ajay Gumit, was killed and another seriously injured after they were crushed under iron rods supporting the 880-metre flyover when a portion of it collapsed on Thursday.

A 41-year-old man had died and his eight-year-old daughter was injured after a concrete slab of the flyover in Bhubaneswar’s Bomikhal area came down in September last year.

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Local residents had protested after Thursday’s accident. While Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Congress cited it as an example of “rampant corruption”. BJD’s former Agricultural Minister Damodar Rout had said some ruling politicians may have stakes in the firm.

Pradhan’s announcement contradicts earlier statements by PWD officials, who said that firing the contractor could land them in court as death of workers or general public is not listed as a condition for rescission of the contract. Officials said they are studying the terms of the contract to see if they can dismiss the contractor.

PWD officials said that they have not yet decided to remove the firm from other projects across Odisha though they admit “substandard work” has led to two accidental deaths in Bhubaneswar. The firm is also working on road infrastructure projects in Pokariput area of Bhubaneswar, Jatni in Khordha, and Sambalpur.

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