Deadline Missed, Besa–Pipla ‘Death Road’ Remains a Hazard Amid Delays Nagpur: The much-anticipated concretisation of Besa-Pipla Road has missed its mid-March deadline, prolonging commuter woes and raising serious safety concerns along the busy stretch. The project, initially scheduled for completion between February and March, remains incomplete, with officials now pushing the revised deadline to the end of April. The road has increasingly gained notoriety as a ‘killer road’ following a fatal accident involving 72-year-old Rangrao Patil. Uneven surfaces and ongoing construction activity have made the stretch highly accident-prone, with near-misses occurring daily. Daily commuters complain that the delays have significantly increased travel time while exposing them to constant risk. “I’ve personally witnessed multiple near-miss accidents on this road in the past few weeks. The lanes are unclear due to construction, and during peak hours, vehicles get stuck in long queues, increasing frustration and risky driving,” said Madan Sahajwani, a local grocer. Despite the infusion of additional funds, including support under Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s Central Road Fund, progress on the ground has been slow. According to a senior source from the Public Works Department (PWD), only one side of the road is nearing completion, while work on the other side remains pending. “Barely 10 to 20 metres of work is left on one side, but the March deadline could not be met due to fund constraints that temporarily halted the project. The curing process is complete, and only paving block laying remains on that stretch,” the official said. The source added that both sides of the road are now expected to be fully concretised by the end of April, provided there are no further interruptions.#nitin_gadkari #public_works_department #besa_pipla_road #rangrao_patil #central_road_fund
NMC Tenders Spark Concern Over Infrastructure Quality Amid Low Bids Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation's (NMC) public works department has proposed approving tenders quoted at significantly lower-than-estimated rates, raising alarms about potential compromises to construction standards. Two key proposals—bids 38.90% and 37.18% below the base cost—have been forwarded to the standing committee for review. These proposals are set to be discussed at the committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday. Of the six proposals submitted by the public works department (PWD), three relate to administrative approvals, one involves inviting tenders, and two pertain to cement road works. Civic officials noted that intense competition among contractors has driven them to aggressively underbid, resulting in rates far below the sanctioned project costs. This trend has sparked concerns about the quality of infrastructure projects, as the department itself is approving these low bids. Officials emphasized that while the tendering process remains transparent, the unusually low quotes have triggered broader debates about whether project estimates are inflated or if contractors are undercutting costs to secure work orders. This is not the first time such low bids have raised eyebrows. In previous instances, several civic works were awarded at sharply discounted rates, prompting scrutiny over cost assessments and contractor practices. For example, a tender for I-block installation saw a bid 41.62% below the estimated cost. The project, initially valued at Rs28.99 lakh, was awarded to a bidder quoting Rs16.92 lakh. With 28 bidders participating, most quoted 30–40% below estimates, signaling a growing "race to the bottom.#times_of_india #nagpur_municipal_corporation #nmc #public_works_department #sanjay_mahakalkar
